Kho-Halili video scandal reveals Internet blackmailing

(UPDATE): My latest interview aired on GMA7 Saksi and QTV11 News on Q. The Senate investigation regarding the Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili sex scandal revealed nothing new except for how Halili fell deeply in love with Kho, which was unreciprocated by the latter. According to Kho, the relationship was simply about sex, drugs, sex and drugs.

Vicky Belo's legal counsel lawyer Adel Tamano said the reported 40 sex videos involved only four women, Vicki Belo included. But Senator Jamby Madrigal, chairman of the Senate committee on youth, women, and family relations, said otherwise. Madrigal said the videos out in the wild reportedly involved four women, so there are 36 or 37 more left.

It seems the Senator was right. I heard from the grapevine that there is another video circulating which involves Kho and an unknown partner (unknown meaning not popular). So far, there are around five to six names that have surfaced, allegedly having it out with Kho in a sex video.

Which makes people wonder how come these videos have not been as widely distributed as the Halili video. Money in exchange for the non-distribution of the videos is what people are speculating. Kho himself revealed that there were people who called his mobile phone asking for something like 4 million pesos for the non-distribution of the videos.

Perhaps the other celebrities (if, indeed, they have their videos) have received such calls as well. "Pay or we distribute the video or upload it to the Web" seems to be the order of the day. Given the power of the Net, victims will definitely consider whether they should pay up or face the consequences of having the shameful acts online forever.

Halili cannot put it better. She said: "I may vanish from this world, but my video stays on the Web." Well said, indeed. We just witnessed the power of technology used in the wrong way, the Internet used for blackmailing.

Pirated videos may be minimized. Authorities can go around to places to confiscate these materials. But when it's up on the Web, the distribution is magnified by 10- or even 100-fold due to its global reach. The question is, are we prepared for this new kind of blackmailing? How can authorities stop this kind of threat? Millions or even billions will exchange hands here. Internet blackmailing is a worldwide problem and is worst than hostage-taking or terrorists combined because of the damage it can do to individuals and/or groups.

The best advice to prevent such things from happening again is not to create/record such materials. If you really want to create one, be prepared to guard it with your life. Same goes for important documents such as contracts and proposals.

Out of curiosity, will you pay or will you just wait for your videos to be uploaded online?

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