Broadcast journalist Julius Babao has found support from fellow media practitioners and commentators after being dragged into the ongoing controversy sparked by Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto’s claim that some journalists were paid as much as ₱10 million to interview controversial contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya.
While Sotto did not drop names, Babao’s 2024 ‘Unplugged’ vlog featuring the Discaya couple resurfaced and quickly gained traction, climbing to over 1.4 million views in recent days. The sudden spotlight, however, also came with accusations of possible ethics violations—claims that Babao has strongly denied.
On Instagram, Babao shared a quote by American columnist Walter Winchell: “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
He added his own caption: “Maraming Salamat sa pagmamahal at pag-unawa ng mga TUNAY na kaibigan! Ngayon alam ko na kung sino kayo. God Bless You All!”
The veteran anchor, now with TV5’s ‘Frontline Pilipinas’, disabled the comments section, but later posted messages of gratitude to those who defended him in public opinion pieces.
Among them was Allan Encarnacion of Journal News Online, who wrote: “Para sa akin, wala silang ginawang masama, period.”
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Another was Orpheus M. Velasco, who questioned Sotto’s approach: “Mayor Vico Sotto is not always a Knight in Shining Armor. Like any politician, he is human — and sometimes prone to misjudgment.”
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In a separate post, Babao shared a clip from a 2024 interview with Janno Gibbs and Stanley Chi, reiterating that he has never taken bribes despite multiple attempts over his decades-long career.
“The P10 Million accusation is Super Fake News! People in the industry know me as one who can never be bribed by anyone in exchange for favors or for a story,” he stressed.
He earlier told PEP that his Discaya interview had no political angle at the time: “There is no truth to the claim that P10 million was involved in this interview. When the interview happened, the couple had not mentioned any plans of entering politics… What they only wanted then was to share their success story with the public.”
Babao isn’t the only one caught in the crossfire. Mayor Sotto’s post also included a screengrab from an interview conducted by Korina Sanchez, whose shows ‘Rated Korina’ and ‘Korina Interviews’ featured the Discayas. Her production team has likewise vehemently denied receiving any payment, calling the allegation irresponsible and defamatory.
