The producers of Rated Korina and Korina Interviews have doubled down on their defense of host Korina Sanchez, releasing a separate statement on her official Facebook page in response to Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto’s remarks on their feature about Sara and Curlee Discaya.
In the statement signed by executive producers Ferdie Dugay and Catherine Torres Lulu, the team emphasized that their programs operate under long-standing editorial standards and have been consistently recognized for quality. “Both shows are multi-awarded by credible award-giving bodies through the years. Our host Ms. Korina Sanchez Roxas has her esteemed place in the industry for very sturdy reasons,” they wrote.
They clarified the guiding principles of their features: public interest, relevance, and storytelling—not sensationalism. “We don’t do ‘hit’ pieces, so no bashing, criticizing or slandering other personalities or businesses. By the same token, we don’t do ‘puff’ or ‘vanity’ pieces; subjects simply tell their life story,” the statement read.
The producers pointed out that numerous public figures, including Sotto’s own relatives such as Sen. Tito Sotto, Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, and MTRCB chair Lala Sotto, as well as Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski, had been previously featured on Rated Korina without issue.
On the Discaya feature, they explained that it was aired without embellishment because of its public interest value: “We do not presume our interviewees as evil nor as angels. Their rags-to-riches life story is their story to tell. It was aired walang dagdag at walang bawas.”
They also underscored that the interview was conducted before the campaign period, and like all other political interviews, was removed from official platforms after elections. Moreover, the Discayas, they said, are not authorized to use the footage for political purposes.
The producers flatly denied allegations of multi-million peso interview fees. “There is no such thing as a P10 million placement for an interview. This is simply not true. Malicious insinuations posted on Facebook and which publicly besmirch the reputation of our shows or Ms. Sanchez clearly constitute cyber libel,” the letter stated.
They revealed that efforts had been made to interview Mayor Sotto in the past, even reaching out to his mother, actress Coney Reyes, but the requests were declined.
The statement concluded with a reminder that freedom of speech must come with responsibility. “While we fully respect freedom of speech and opinion and the platforms in which these are aired and posted, there is such a thing as thoughtful restraint which benefits truth and fairness,” it read.
This latest pronouncement echoes the earlier open letter from the shows’ producers, which already defended their editorial independence and challenged Mayor Sotto’s criticisms as unfair and damaging to Korina Sanchez’s decades-long journalistic career.
