Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto announced on Monday the preventive suspension of two local government employees implicated in separate corruption schemes involving contractor solicitation and fixing. The disciplinary actions mark a broader shift in the city’s anti-graft campaign, targeting deep-seated unethical practices within the lower ranks of the local bureaucracy.
According to Sotto, one of the suspended workers is from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), who allegedly solicited favors from a contractor doing business with the department.
The mayor emphasized that while asking private contractors for contributions—such as funding for Christmas parties or birthdays—was historically normalized in government culture, it remains a serious violation under his administration.
“This is something that may have become a habit in government, like it’s nothing serious, that it’s not bribery anyway, or the contract was already awarded, so maybe it’s OK to ask for birthday money or Christmas party contributions,” Sotto said.
The second suspension involves a personnel member from the City Treasurer’s Department who allegedly confessed to operating as a fixer for transactions within City Hall. Sotto clarified that both individuals are currently under preventive suspension to ensure unhindered administrative investigations, which will ultimately determine whether they will face permanent dismissal from public service.
Additionally, the mayor disclosed that members of the city’s legal department are presently under investigation, though specific details remain confidential due to the active status of the proceedings.
This latest crackdown is part of a systemic reform agenda launched when Sotto took office in 2019, which initially focused on restructuring city procurement processes. The campaign has since expanded down to the barangay (village) level during his third term, where the Pasig City Council’s Blue Ribbon Committee is currently probing multiple local officials over the alleged mismanagement of community development funds.
While Sotto admitted that penalizing acquaintances and public servants can be personally difficult, he stressed that tolerate-and-forget mindsets would only cause governance reforms to collapse.
“It cannot continue that public funds are handled this way for life,” he said.
The mayor concluded by rallying Pasig residents to remain vigilant and report any anomalies involving public funds, while also urging the public to remain fair and appreciative of honest local officials who fulfill their mandates with integrity.