Pasig Mayor Sotto, Discaya clash over campaign rally permit

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto (Photo from Galing Pook FB page)

MANILA, Philippines — Pasig City mayoral candidate Sarah Discaya on Wednesday claimed the local government moved the location of her campaign kick-off event, but reelectionist Mayor Vico Sotto hit back, saying his rival was not telling the “full story.”

“Kami ay nagbigay ng aming request letter at ang aming hinihiling na venue ay para sa Plaza Rizal,” Discaya said In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening.

(We gave a request letter and the venue we were asking for was Plaza Rizal.)

“Naaprubahan ang aming request at makikita sa special permit na ang ibinigay sa amin na venue ay sa Caruncho Avenue. Paglilinaw lang: ang LGU (local government unit) ang pumili ng alternatibong lugar, hindi ang Team Kaya This,” she added.

(Our request was approved and it can be seen in the special permit given to us that the venue is along Caruncho Avenue. For clarity: the LGU chose the alternative venue, not Team Kaya This.)

Sotto, however, responded in a comment on Discaya’s Facebook post and in stories on his own Facebook account, sharing images of documents supposedly showing her camp filing to secure Caruncho Avenue for their campaign kick-off event.

“Choice niyo lumipat sa Caruncho Avenue. Kung biglaan o sapilitan ang inyong paglipat, bakit kayo may application letter para sa Caruncho Westbound? ‘Di ba yun din naman ang nakalagay sa barangay permit niyo sa San Nicolas? At nag-submit pa kayo ng proposed traffic plan?,” Sotto said in his comment on Discaya’s post.

 (It was your choice to move to Caruncho Avenue. If your relocation was sudden or forced, why do you have an application letter for Caruncho Westbound? Isn’t that what’s on your barangay permit in San Nicolas? You even submitted a proposed traffic plan.)

“Kung magkukwento na lang din kayo, ikuwento ninyo nang buo. Dishonesty eh,” he added.

(If you’re going to tell a story, tell it in full. It’s just dishonesty.)

READ: Rival offers Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto a peace covenant: ‘We’re like you’ 

Sotto previously alleged that Discaya had ties to a company partnered with 2025 election provider Miru Systems.

Discaya then offered Sotto a “peace covenant,” but he refused.

Sotto is running for a third term.

The campaign period for local candidates starst on Friday, March 28.