Jim Paredes apologizes for his leaked ‘private’ video

MANILA, Philippines — Musician Jim Paredes, a vocal critic of the Duterte administration, admitted that it was him in the explicit video making rounds online after initially saying the clip was “fake.”

“The video was real. It was private and not meant for public consumption,” Paredes wrote on his blog.

It is not certain where the video came from or who posted it but it made rounds online early this week.

“I can only surmise that in this ugly season of toxic politics, muckrakers determined to neutralize my influence by violating my privacy and digging up dirt on me are at work,” Paredes said.

Paredes, a former member of APO Hiking Society, said he did not know how to respond when he first saw the video on social media but he “decided to come clean.”

“There are already too many lies and liars in this world. I do not wish to be part of that cabal. I have chosen to be truthful because I know that painful as truth can be, it will eventually set me free,” he said.

Paredes then apologized for his “irresponsibility.”

“Today, I wish to express my feelings freely. Today, I wish to express my truth. I am a flawed person, a human being, much like everyone else. I made a mistake, I was irresponsible. And I am truly sorry,” he said.

The singer-songwriter added: “I know many of you have juged me and condemned me. And those who held me in high esteem are disappointed in me, to put it mildly.”

“But most especially, I stand in bottomless sorrow and contrition before my family who are reeling from the hurt and aggravation and the embarrassment and shame that should only be mine. I pray that they be spared any more wicked trolling by those who would revel in their pain,” he furthered.

Paredes has been vocal with his criticisms of some policies of the Duterte administration on social media.