In Philippine politics and showbiz, truth is often stranger—and spicier—than fiction.
Case in point the ongoing brouhaha involving Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, son of popular showbiz personalities Vic Sotto and Coney Reyes.
Vico kicked off the drama by taking to social media recently to criticize veteran broadcasters Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao for featuring his 2025 mayoral rivals Sarah and Curlee Discaya, who are also known DPWH contractors, in their respective online platforms supposedly in exchange for ₱10 million.
Vico’s shade was clear: practices like this “undermine the integrity of journalism.”
He even called out the “grey areas” of lifestyle TV: “Hindi naman journalism ito… ’wag na tayong maglokohan.”
Korina’s camp, naturally, wasn’t having it.
In an open letter to Vico as posted on social media, her shows “Rated Korina” and “Korina Interviews” defended their award-winning pedigree and Korina’s “esteemed place in the industry.”
They flatly denied any ₱10 million deal: “There is no such thing as a ₱10 million placement for an interview.”
They also warned Vico about—you guessed it—cyber libel.
Julius also denied the same.
He made clear the nature of the feature maintaining it was a lifestyle profile focused on “inspiring success stories.”
Netizens are hooked.
Vico’s post has since racked up over 28,000 shares.
At its heart, the saga is less about who paid what, and more about credibility—who has it, who risks it, and who’s cashing it in.
Whether you see it as a case of politics colliding with infotainment, or just another real life Filipino telenovela, one thing’s certain: this ₱10 million plot twist surely added a wee bit more spice to the usual local entertainment drudgery.
