Viy Cortez and Krissy Achino deny receiving ₱50M for political endorsement

Popular vlogger and entrepreneur Viy Cortez has denied allegations that she, her husband Cong TV, and fellow content creator Chino Liu, also known as Krissy Achino, received P50 million to endorse a senatorial aspirant in the upcoming elections.

Both Viy and Krissy are part of Team Payaman, a well-known group of Filipino content creators led by Cong TV.

The controversy stemmed from a blind item that went viral on Reddit, claiming that a famous content creator couple had allegedly accepted a P50 million deal to feature and endorse a senatorial candidate in their content and video ads.

The blind item read: “A well-known Filipino content creator couple has allegedly secured a staggering P50 million deal to feature and endorse a senatorial aspirant in their content and video ads for the upcoming election.”

The post further alleged that the political aspirant came from a controversial political dynasty accused of land grabbing and intimidating farmers into supporting them.

“Desperate for a financial lifeline amid declining engagement and struggling businesses, they seem to have fully embraced their content’s central theme: money above all else. But at what cost?”

As the post gained traction, netizens began speculating about the couple’s identity, with some linking the names of Cong TV and Viy Cortez to the allegations.

Viy Cortez quickly denied the accusations in a social media post, dismissing them as baseless.

“Shutakkayo anong 50M pinagsasabi nyo HAHAHAHAHA magtitinda pa ba ko panghugas ng kipay at ratbu kung may nagbigay sakin nyan,” she wrote.

Rather than dwell on the controversy, Viy used the moment to promote her new product, humorously urging netizens to support her business.

“Bumili na kayo para hindi kayo pumanghi at magkatotoo pa yan HAHA,” she added.

Meanwhile, Krissy Achino also took to Facebook to address the rumors.

“Problema sa inyo, ang bilis niyo maniwala sa ‘fake news’ eh. Hahaha! Kung totoo ‘yan edi sana nabalatuhan na kaming lahat sa Team Payaman. ‍♀️”

She even referenced the late astrologer Zenaida Seva in a lighthearted remark:

“Sabi ng the late Zenaida Seva, ‘ang mga bituin ay gabay lamang natin, mayroon tayong free will, gamitin natin ito…’”

Prior to the viral blind item, Viy Cortez was spotted with Camille Villar, a senatorial candidate. While many netizens speculated that this confirmed the allegations, others pointed out that the meeting was likely just a content collaboration, as both are active in the social media space.

Adding to the speculation, Viy and her family had previously endorsed a supermarket chain owned by the Villar family, further fueling online discussions.