Former ABS-CBN reporter Niko Baua has claimed witnessing bribery and payola practices in media coverages amid ongoing controversies on alleged paid interviews.
This comes in the wake of the controversy sparked by Pasig City mayor Vico Sotto’s post linking veteran broadcasters Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao to supposed “paid interviews” with contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya.
Baua first shared through a series of Instagram stories that his coverage of the 2013 pork barrel scam was among his “biggest frustrations” as a reporter.
The multi-billion peso pork barrel scam, considered one of the country’s biggest corruption scandals, centered on businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, who was charged with serious illegal detention over the alleged abduction of her former aide and relative, Benhur Luy, who eventually became a key whistleblower in the case.
Baua recalled that he and other reporters were asked by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to hold off reporting on Luy’s rescue until evidence was secured. However, he later learned that his request to interview Luy was turned down, allegedly because he was from ABS-CBN.
“We were all trying to get first access to the sworn statements, an interview with Luy, and the other whistleblowers. But the NBI chief then, told me, ayaw sa ABS ni Luy. Kako bakit… and he didn’t explain. Ayaw lang daw talaga,” he recalled.
Later on, Baua said he began to grow suspicious of some journalists being favored due to alleged payola ties. His suspicions grew more after personally encountering a well-known anchor, whom he had teased at the time for being close to Napoles.
“I taunted him and said, ‘Hi, baka matulungan mo ako, ayaw magpa-interview sa akin nung whistleblowers. Sabi nila kausapin daw kita, close daw kayo ni Janet.’ He froze, and stammered that kakilala lang daw niya,” Baua recounted.
He would later learn that some whistleblowers claimed certain reporters and anchors were included in a payola list linked to Napoles’ scam. Among them, he said, was an anchorman he had worked with.
“I was amused by that list, kasi bukod sa political reporters may showbiz reporters din. Marami sila, and they came from different media outfits,” Niko claimed.
Baua acknowledged the difficulty in proving bribery does happen in the industry but emphasized that certain “red flags” can be noticed, adding that he often tells such stories to young reporters as a warning.
“Bribery in the industry, much like in government, is hard to prove. There are red flags though, and you can tell… alam mo na yon kumbaga. With this particular anchor, marami naghihinala. Pero in this instance, may nag-confirm, and I didn’t have any reason to doubt,” Baua said.
“[…] Bribes aren’t worth it, bukod sa mali. Sure we’re poor, but do you want to be depraved as well? It’s a small industry where a lot of old reporters retire to become fixers, and we talk about these things in our own circles. Mahiya ka dapat kapag alam mong mapaguusapan ka sa ganyang paraan.”
In a recent, follow-up post, while Baua admitted he did not expect the strong reactions from his revelations, he stressed that corruption, as well as other issues in media should not be ignored.
“Let’s not pretend that corruption isn’t a problem in the industry, along with labor issues, conflicts of interest and fake news. There’s a lot that needs to be fixed. It would be a disservice to our profession to discourage people from questioning their sources of information and analyzing content, when most networks have been advocating media literacy all these years. That level of hypocrisy just triggered me,” he wrote.
Niko went on to recall other instances when reporters were offered cash or good, sometimes disguised as “pang-merienda,” other times in blatant cash distribution sealed in envelopes at press conferences.
“The practice is so prevalent and interwoven with our cultural attitudes in giving gifts and being hospitable kasi. The line between being professional and being appreciative is blurred a lot of times,” he lamented the acts.
Baua expressed his own opinions on those who accept and refuse such offers, saying, “I try not to judge na lang. Pero if you take that gift, there’s no going back. They will treat you like you’re their employee. They will ask you to kill stories. They will make paki-usap for you to not ask certain questions. You will be forced to comply and if you dont, there will be real consequences. Bukod pa dyan yung mapag-uusapan ka. But if you dont accept that gift, you will still enjoy that satisfying freedom of asking any question, pursue any story and demand accountability.
Baua explained that while corruption is a “complicated topic” in the media industry, he regarded such issues as “things beyond his control”. He admitted that while his 2013 experience left him “disgusted”, this did not dishearten him to uphold his standards of reporting, acknowledging his tenure in ABS-CBN for more than a decade changed his views on bribery over time.
Niko said he drew inspiration from respected colleagues such as Henry Omaga-Diaz, Pia Hontiveros, and Gus Abelgas, whom he described as “real journalists” known for their professionalism and work ethic.
“They were real journalists who produced and fought for their own stories. They had excellent sourcing, great storytelling, hardworking and humble. They were the standard that I wanted to emulate. They stayed true to their work and didn’t end up as social climbers, or clout chasing vloggers, or both,” he described his role models.
Before ending his post, Baua clarified that anchors Ted Failon and Noli de Castro had nothing to do with the alleged payola list.
“And for those villifying Sir Ted and Kabayan at nag-akalang sila ang anchor na nasa payroll umano ni Napoles – HINDI PO SILA. That’s all I’m going to say,” he declared.
