Jamaine Punzalan

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto takes his oath as he begins his third and final term during a ceremony for incoming elected officials at South Drive, Bridgetowne, Barangay Rosario, Pasig City on June 30, 2025. During the ceremony, Sotto declared that he will not pursue any post in the 2028 elections after his stint as mayor.
Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

VICO SOTTO

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1284483536909228%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>MANILA (UPDATE) -- Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Thursday filed a complaint against Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), accusing her of overspending during the May 2025 polls and submitting false declarations in her campaign finance report. Sotto says Discaya violated Section 100 of the Omnibus Election Code for exceeding the legal spending cap and for material misstatements in her Statement of Contributions and Expenses (SOCE). “Tingin ko malinaw naman, ano, clear and blatant violations of election law. Sa totoo, ayoko na rin gawin ito, kasi nakaka-abala rin. Pero sa atin kasi, ang gusto natin sa lungsod Pasig, kailangan sumunod ka sa batas. Kailangan sumunod ka sa election law,” Sotto said in an interview. Sotto said election rules are explicit on disclosure and spending limits, and that candidates must strictly follow them. “Kung sinabing kailangan mo i-declare lahat ng gastusin mo, dapat i-declare mo nang maayos. Kapag sinabing bawal ang ganitong klaseng billboard, bawal ang ganitong klaseng billboard. Kapag sinabing P3 pesos per voter ang pwedeng gastusin, hanggang doon lang talaga,” he stated. In his complaint-affidavit, Sotto cited Discaya’s SOCE, which reported campaign expenses of under P1 million, an amount he said was inconsistent with the scale of her advertising and campaign activities. “Kapag binasa niyo po iyong SOCE niya, nasa humigit kumulang P800,000 lang ang kanyang declared expenditures. Nakita niyo naman lahat kung ano iyong ginawa nila noong campaign. Kayo na po ang maghusga kung iyon lang talaga ang ginastos nila,” he said. Sotto said the complaint details numerous alleged unreported expenses, including outdoor billboards, digital advertisements, and costs related to rallies and meetings, which he said should have been declared under election law. Beyond the election offense case, Sotto said his camp also filed a separate complaint for perjury before the Pasig City prosecutor earlier, questioning Discaya’s declarations on her citizenship in her Certificate of Candidacy. “Meron din po kaming finile sa prosecutor ng Pasig para naman po sa perjury dahil sa kanyang misdeclarations tungkol sa kanyang citizenship. Dahil siya po ay British or dual citizen. Tapos sinabi niya na hindi,” he said. Asked why the cases were filed only now, Sotto said timing was deliberate to avoid accusations of political motivation and to allow voters to decide at the polls. He stressed that the case goes beyond a single political opponent and is meant to send a broader message about accountability. “Sa akin po, hindi na lang ito tungkol kay Discaya lamang o sa team nila. Para sa akin po, ito po ay statement na sa lungsod ng Pasig, dapat sumunod tayo sa batas. Darating ang barangay elections ngayong taon. Mensahe ito nagnanais maging kapitan o kagawad, sumunod kayo,” Sotto said. “Gano’n din pagdating ng 2028, kahit sino pwedeng tumakbo basta eligible, basta qualified, pero sumunod kayo sa batas at kung hindi, gagawin namin ang bahagi namin para managot kayo,” he added. Sotto was assisted by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal in filing the complaints. Sarah Discaya ran against Sotto and lost in the 2025 Pasig mayoral race. She is currently detained at the Lapu Lapu City Jail in Cebu as she faces charges of graft and malversation in connection with anomalous flood control projects in Davao Occidental. <div> </div>

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto lodged Thursday complaints for alleged election offenses against his former mayoral race rival, contractor Sarah Discaya.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto lodged Thursday complaints for alleged election offenses against his former mayoral race rival, contractor Sarah Discaya.

Vico Sotto files election overspending, perjury complaints vs Discaya

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Vico Sotto files election overspending, perjury complaints vs Discaya

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 19, 2026 03:26 PM PHT

|

Updated February 19, 2026 04:55 PM PHT

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Vico Sotto

Discaya

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