The teams behind Rated Korina and Korina Interviews have issued an official statement and open letter to Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto following his public remarks about the shows’ feature on Sara and Curlee Discaya.

In the letter, the programs’ producers highlighted their long-standing editorial standards, emphasizing that both shows prioritize public interest, storytelling value, and ethical production. They clarified that bashing, slander, or investigative exposés are not part of their programming. Interviews, whether with politicians, business leaders, or entertainment figures, are intended to showcase subjects’ life stories and achievements.

Regarding the Discaya feature, the team pointed out that it was conducted and aired before the campaign period, in November 2024 and January 2025. They stressed that Korina Sanchez was unaware she was interviewing a mayoralty candidate until the day of taping and that the production was arranged independently of her.

The statement also denied allegations of multi-million peso placements for interviews, calling the claims “irresponsible and malicious.” The producers explained that while some features involving products, personalities, or companies may involve payments similar to advertisements, all financial transactions are processed through the network with official receipts.

In defense of their host, the letter argued that Mayor Sotto’s remarks verge on cyber libel, casting doubt on both the programs and Sanchez’s decades-long journalistic career.

The producers criticized what they described as double standards, writing:

“Who are we to presume our interviewees as evil with no basis or evidence long before they come into controversy? Are we also to presume you are guilty of overpricing the construction of government buildings just because your opponent thinks so?”

They reiterated that all interviews involving candidates were removed after elections and clarified that the Discayas are not authorized to use program footage for political purposes.

The letter concluded with a call for thoughtful discourse: “While free speech is respected, thoughtful restraint that benefits truth and fairness should guide public conversation, especially among leaders.”

Full statement excerpt from Rated Korina and Korina Interviews:

Dear Mayor Sotto,

The platforms Korina Interviews and Rated Korina both take pride in their standards in storytelling and production. Both shows are multi-awarded by credible awarding bodies over the years. Our host Ms. Korina Sanchez Roxas has her esteemed place in the industry for very sturdy reasons.

Firstly, in choosing subjects and topics for our shows, there must be public interest in it, plus a story to tell. Second, bashing or criticizing or slandering other personalities or businesses is strictly disallowed. Third, subjects simply tell their life story. This is no investigative piece.

The stories of many personalities, including politicians and public figures, real estate developers, or sportsmen, have been the content of Rated Korina for decades. The same is true for several other magazine shows and interviews by many hosts across all networks.

In the case of the Sara and Curlee Discaya interview, their rags-to-riches story is their story. While the feature was never intended to be investigative but simply a success story, should there have been anything untrue about what they claimed after airing, it is up to the accuser to point this out. We will air it if verified.

In fairness to Ms. Sanchez, she only found out she was interviewing a Pasig mayoralty candidate on the day of taping, and she was not the one in contact with the couple for the interview.

We reached out to your camp several times since your former mayoral term and even informed your mother, Ms. Coney Reyes, about this feature story on the Discayas, but you had always declined requests for an interview.

The interview was conducted well before the campaign period, aired in November 2024 and January 2025. Yes, there are payments for certain businesses, products, personalities, companies, or politicians much like payments for advertisements, and these go to the network with an official receipt issued to the client. There is no such thing as a 10-million peso placement for an interview. It is irresponsible to even say such. As your malice is posted on Facebook and publicly besmirches the reputation of Ms. Sanchez, this clearly constitutes cyber libel.

To insinuate that our show is irresponsible in only airing what is paid for is slanderous.

Who are we to presume our interviewees as evil with no basis or evidence long before they come into controversy?

Are we also to presume you are guilty of overpricing the construction of government buildings just because your opponent thinks so?

Are we to automatically deduce you are grandstanding at the expense of others because this is your last term and you are planning to run for higher office?

Only someone of inferior intellect and juvenile reasoning, if not someone utterly deluded and un-Christian, would publicly make such conclusions.

Mr. Mayor, just because you won your seat of public trust does not put you in a position of authority over editorial prerogative, nor does it give you license to cast doubt on the integrity of seasoned journalists simply because they interviewed your opponent, who did not speak against you, and because you refused to be interviewed.

The Discayas are not allowed to use the interview video they are propagating, and legal action shall be taken on this matter. All interviews of those who ran for office have also been taken down from our official sites right after elections.

We hope your issues have been clarified and we will be happy to address any further concerns. While we recognize free speech and the platforms with which we express opinions, there is also such a thing as thoughtful restraint that benefits truth and fairness. We all claim to be Christian, after all.