After 22 years, former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Sarah Balabagan has come out to claim broadcaster Arnold Clavio is the father of her firstborn.
She said so in a recent Facebook Live video, adding that she thought of speaking up because the issue resurfaced due to a "viral post."
“Ang ama po ng panganay ko ay yes, si Arnold Clavio po, siya po ang ama," Sarah said, then later, “It’s God’s will ng Panginoon (na gawin ko ito) para maitama ko na yung mga dapat itama...ang maituwid and dapat maituwid.”
Note that there were rumors before that a different man was the father of her firstborn.
Sarah met Arnold when the latter was covering her murder case in the '90s. Recall that she was jailed in the Middle East for stabbing her employer to death after he tried to rape her. She was just 14.
Sarah was sentenced to death at first, but this was reduced to a year's imprisonment and 100 cane strokes, along with the payment of blood money sponsored by a Filipino businessman.
She returned to the Philippines during which, Sarah said, Arnold gave her first tour of Manila. They had a relationship in 1996, she claimed.
“Noong unuwi ako sa Pilipinas...isa po siya sa mga nag-cover ng kaso ko. In fact, naging exclusive pa nga niya (ang story)," she said.
Sarah said they agreed to keep their romance a secret. She ended their relationship when she became a Christian.
She also claimed Clavio's wife reached out to forgive her. Sarah ended her video by apologizing to all parties concerned for the pain their affair caused.
Arnold has not issued a statement on the matter as of this writing.