DQ complaint vs Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto (File photo)

MANILA, Philippines — A disqualification complaint has been filed against incumbent Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto by a former city hall employee for alleged vote-buying and for violating the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) “ayuda” ban.

In the complaint filed with the poll body on May 9, former city hall employee Vic Barral cited the city’s distribution of P7,500 in lump-sum school allowances to scholars just two days prior.

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Barral, a member of the Citizens Crime Watch—a private non-profit organization that promotes public safety and government accountability—resigned from his post at Pasig City Hall in February 2024.

During a press conference on Saturday, Barral presented alleged photos, a video of the aid distribution, and screenshots of social media posts from recipients showing the cash they received.

Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, who is serving as Barral’s legal counsel, said that the distribution of the scholarship allowance fell within the poll body’s 10-day “ayuda” ban for the national and local elections.

“This is a lump sum. It should have been released last January, but it was only released now. The releases happened within the 10-day ban on the release of public funds,” Topacio said in Filipino.

Comelec imposed a 10-day ban on distribution of government cash assistance from May 2 to May 12, Election Day.

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This covers the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program, among others.

Sotto said the scholarship program was granted an exemption from the ban on March 24.

Topacio, however, argued that only medical and burial assistance were officially exempted.

In a Facebook post also on Saturday, Sotto brushed off the allegations through a parody of the Tagalog Christmas song, “Pasko Na Naman.”