Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto – Photo credit: City Government of Pasig / Official portrait of Mayor Vico Sotto (2025)
Korina Sanchez – Photo credit: Korina Sanchez-Roxas instagram account
MANILA — Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto’s social media post questioning why veteran journalists feature controversial public figures for alleged multi-million peso fees drew a sharp response from the camp of broadcaster Korina Sanchez-Roxas, which branded the remarks as “slanderous” and possibly constituting cyber libel.
On August 21, Sotto took to Facebook to comment on resurfaced interviews of Sarah and Curlee Discaya that aired on programs hosted by Sanchez and fellow broadcaster Julius Babao. The mayor wrote that a figure like “₱10 million” was “not exact” but suggested such amounts were being spent to secure airtime. While not illegal, he said, the practice undermines the spirit of journalistic ethics.
“It is shameful and violative of the spirit of ethics,” Sotto wrote, adding that credibility should not be traded for publicity.
The Discayas have been linked to construction firms with government contracts under the Department of Public Works and Highways. Sarah Discaya also challenged Sotto in the 2022 Pasig mayoral race, where she was soundly defeated.
Korina Sanchez camp responds
On August 22, the production team behind Rated Korina and Korina Interviews issued a signed statement rejecting Sotto’s claims. Executive producers Ferdie Dugay and Catherine Torres Lulu stressed that no ₱10-million payment was made for the feature and said the programs were lifestyle and human-interest shows, not investigative exposés.
The producers asserted that Sotto’s post unfairly damaged Sanchez’s professional reputation and “constitutes cyber libel.” They said the mayor’s remarks implied wrongdoing without evidence.
Both Sanchez and Babao also denied that their interviews with the Discayas involved any paid placements. According to reports, Babao’s YouTube feature aired in September 2024, while Sanchez’s episode was no longer available on official platforms as of this week.
Dispute over ethics and reputation
The controversy highlights a broader debate on the intersection of journalism, media platforms, and political figures. Sotto has framed his post as a call for higher standards of media ethics, while Sanchez’s camp has positioned its response as a defense of reputation and professional integrity.
No proof of any multi-million peso payment has been made public. What remains is a clash between an elected official calling attention to media practices and a veteran broadcaster asserting that her name has been maligned by unfounded claims.
