Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has strongly refuted viral social media reports claiming he has been slapped with a suspension order by the Office of the Ombudsman, branding the allegations as politically driven fake news.
Taking to his official social media channel, Sotto dismissed the rumors and attributed the smear campaign to political adversaries looking to tarnish his reputation.
“Sabi nga, kung walang galit sayo, wala ka sigurong ginagawang mahalaga… Very likely that these fake news propaganda are funded by [your guess is as good as mine!],” Sotto wrote.
The local chief executive also warned the public about the deceptive tactics of certain online communities that initial build a following with harmless, positive content before pivoting to political misinformation.
“Eto na naman sila. Mga page na post post muna ng positive… tapos maya-maya nagkakalat na ng kasinungalingan. Matagal nang may nagsusumbong sakin na binibili ang mga FB page nila,” he added.
Sotto specifically flagged a Facebook page named “I Love Pasig” as the origin of the false narrative and urged his constituents to report it.
The debunked post alleged that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla handed down a suspension against Sotto for supposedly withholding a ₱1,500 one-time financial allowance intended for Pasig City Hall workers during the Araw ng Pasig festivities.
The Office of the Ombudsman has yet to release any official statement regarding the online claims.