MANILA — Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto on Monday urged his constituents not to put local government officials at the center of their events, saying that the accomplishments of mayors should be treated as the city’s accomplishment as a whole.

In his 6th State of the City Address (SOCA), Sotto veered briefly away from his prepared speech to explain why there seem to be fewer grand events in Metro Manila’s 4th richest city.

“Hindi ko alam paano sabihin nang maayos: Gusto nating lumiit ang mayor. Gusto natin na hindi tayo laging nakatingin sa mga taong nasa puwesto,” he said.

“Gusto natin pag mayroon tayong mga programa, mayroon tayong mga proyekto, may P1,000 galing sa LGU, tulong, sige, mag-event yung school pero hindi na dapat na maging tungkol sa mayor yung event natin,” he said.

“Pera naman natin itong lahat. Atin po ito.”

Pasig’s pivot away from personality-centered politics began in 2019 through an internal policy, which was later institutionalized via a local ordinance, Sotto said.

“Hindi po ba ngayonpag pumunta kayo sa mga school [sa Pasig], ang ganda ganda? Hindi puro mukha ng mga pulitiko yung nakabalandra,” he said.

“Mas pinipili natin ngayon na hindi magkaroon ng malalaking event. Ito siguro, dahil personal preference ko lang o dahil talagang may pinaglalaban tayong adbokasiya natin,” he said.

“Kapag may accomplishment ako, accomplishment niyo din po yun.”

The 35-year-old mayor rose to power in 2019 after ending the nearly three-decades-long rule of the Eusebio dynasty.

Sotto won two consecutive terms with a campaign that focused on anti-corruption, institution building and good governance, and is now vying for a third term in Pasig’s top post.

“Hindi superficial ang ating gustong gawin, hindi pagpapapogi lamang, hindi mababaw… kung hindi tunay na transpormasyon at pakikilahok ng taong bayan sa ating pamahalaan,” Sotto said in his SOCA.

“The quest for good goveranance will always be difficult pero napakarami na po nating napapagtagumpayan,” he said.

In the upcoming 2025 elections, Sotto will be pitted against billionaire-businesswoman Sarah Discaya, who earlier urged the incumbent mayor to sign a peace covenant for a peaceful and respectful campaign and election.

In a press conference, Discaya said that the peace covenant seeks to ensure a “friendly political campaign” sans mudslinging.

Sotto refused to entertain Discaya’s peace resolution, underscoring that the had already signed a similar covenant from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“May peace covenant talaga ang Comelec every three years so there’s no need for politicians to arrange their own,” the mayor told reporters after his SOCA.