WATCH: Paolo Bediones apologizes for 2014 video scandal

MANILA, Philippines – TV Host Paolo Bediones spoke up and apologized for the sex tape that was released online without his permission in 2014, on the podcast Good Times With Mo on August 17. (READ: For Paolo Bediones, new ventures, TV work help healing after scandal)

The video was released in two parts, one in July 2014 and another in August 2014. Paolo has since sought the help of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti – Cybercrime Division to trace who made it public.

On the show, Paolo explained how the video fell into the hands of people who asked him to pay P3 million in exchange for not showing it. Paolo said he already knew before the video was put online that it was in the possession of people who intended to release it.

Paolo and his girlfriend at the time, whose identity remains anonymous, decided to make the video in 2010. Paolo later had his laptop, where the video was recorded, repaired. “So what happened was 5 years ago, maybe about 5 and half years ago, we decided to – for lack of a better word for it – shoot the video… when we were done, we forgot about it and I had my laptop repaired,” he said.

Paolo thought that because only the battery of the laptop needed to be fixed, the shop would not touch the hardware. “So I brought the laptop to the store – I don’t want to name any store yet, but the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and PNP, they’re on it. So I brought it to the store and what they did was they didn’t inform me that they outsourced it to Greenhills (Shopping Center in San Juan) and when I got the laptop back I was like, ‘Oh no, the password’s been disabled.'”

The Greenhills Shopping Center is known to have many gadget repair shops that are not affiliated with official brands or distributors. 

Three months later, Paolo received a letter through snail mail with pictures of the video. The people who had the video demanded P3 million or they would release it. Paolo did not pay and the video was released in 2014.

‘I’m really sorry’

Paolo apologized to his family, friends, and supporters on the podcast.

“You know I’ll take this opportunity, I never got to say sorry to my family for… all the shame that I brought to them for that period of time… They’ve always been there for me, in good times, in bad. And even the viewers, the fans, the admirers, all these people who have been supportive all these years, I’d like to say from the bottom of my heart: if I disappointed anyone, I’m really sorry,” he said.

He added that the hardest part about the situation was knowing that he hurt his then-girlfriend and his family.

“I think the hardest part is having to deal with my partner in the video… She has a life of her own and I’m very happy for her. The hard part is having to deal with the fact that it was my fault… it was my fault that we got into that situation,” he said. “Alam mo yung pinakamasakit? Yung may nasaktan ka eh.” (You know what the most painful part is? That you hurt someone.)

Paolo admitted that he never told the girl that someone else was in possession of the video and had threatened to release it. – Rappler.com