Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto officially filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Saturday, formalizing his bid for a final term as the city’s chief executive. Joining him in the 2025 elections is incumbent Vice Mayor Robert “Dodot” Jaworski Jr., who also filed for reelection.
Sotto was accompanied by his parents, actor Vic Sotto and actress Coney Reyes, during the filing.
In an interview, Sotto responded to comments made by the owners of St. Gerrard Construction, who claimed they felt “compelled” to run for public office because of him.
Sotto criticized their motivation for entering politics, stating, “They said they feel ‘forced’ to run because of me. What kind of intention is that? Politics should not be used as an excuse or a shield to continue breaking the law.”
He emphasized that whether or not the owners of St. Gerrard join politics, his duty as mayor remains to ensure proper tax payments and enforcement of the building code, especially for large construction projects.
Sotto clarified that the investigation into St. Gerrard Construction was initiated long before they decided to run for office, asserting that the issue is not personal but based on legal grounds.
The mayor further claimed that his team has “overwhelming evidence” linking St. Gerrard Construction to St. Timothy Construction Corporation (STCC), the firm that backed out of a joint venture for the 2025 automated election system.
Sotto presented a General Information Sheet from the Securities and Exchange Commission showing that both companies share the same business address.
