Vico Sotto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vico Sotto
Sotto during a public address in 2024
12th Mayor of Pasig
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2019
Vice mayor	Iyo Bernardo (2019–2022) Robert Jaworski Jr. (2022–present)
Preceded by	Bobby Eusebio
Member of the Pasig City Council from the 1st District
In office June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2019
Personal details
Born	Victor Ma. Regis Nubla Sotto (1989-06-17) June 17, 1989 (age 35) Quezon City, Philippines
Political party	Independent (2015–2018, 2022–present)
Other political affiliations	Aksyon (2018–2022) Giting ng Pasig (2021–present)
Education	Brent International School (secondary)
Alma mater	Ateneo de Manila University (AB, MPM)
Occupation	Politician
Signature
Parent(s)	Vic Sotto (father) Coney Reyes (mother)
Relatives	Sotto family

Victor Ma. Regis "Vico" Nubla Sotto (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈbiko ˈsɔtɔ]; born June 17, 1989) is a Filipino politician serving as the incumbent mayor of Pasig. A member of the Sotto family, he first entered politics when he ran for a seat on the Pasig City Council in 2016. He won the election as an independent and served a term in the city council. He joined the Aksyon Demokratiko party and was elected mayor of Pasig in 2019 with a platform focused on public consultation, data-driven governance, and universal health care in the city, which prioritizes housing programs, easier access to education, and cracking down on corruption. Sotto was re-elected in 2022; shortly afterwards, he resigned from Aksyon Demokratiko.

In 2021, the United States Department of State recognized Sotto as one of 12 recipients of the International Anticorruption Champions Award for his efforts toward anti-corruption.

Early life and career

Sotto was born on June 17, 1989, to actor-comedian-host Vic Sotto and actress Coney Reyes, celebrities strongly associated with the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga!. The public expected that Sotto would make regular appearances on the show. However, he preferred to maintain a low profile with an early interest in government at the age of 10. He went in Philippine Montessori for preschool with future actress Janine Gutierrez as his classmate. Sotto attended Brent International School for most of his grade school and high school. He graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Sotto later pursued a Master of Arts in Public Management at the Ateneo School of Government and graduated in 2018.

In 2018, Sotto received the prestigious YSEALI Professional Fellowship Award. He did his professional residency at the Iowa Public Information Board as part of the fellowship.

Prior to entering politics, Sotto taught social science at Arellano University for one semester.

Political career

Pasig City Council (2016–2019)

Sotto was elected as a member of Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) of Pasig in 2016, serving a single term before he was sworn in as Mayor on June 30, 2019.

As an independent Councilor, Sotto faced stiff opposition to his initiatives, making it difficult for him to introduce legislation. He focused his attention on "The Pasig Transparency Mechanism Ordinance," which seeks the disclosure of public records, including financial documents and contracts, upon request by ordinary citizens. Upon its passage, it became the first-ever localized version of the freedom of information law in Metro Manila.

Mayor of Pasig (2019–present)

2019 campaign

When Sotto ran for Mayor in Pasig in 2019, he campaigned on a platform called, "Big V" (Big Five) Agenda, which promotes universal healthcare, housing programs, education, public consultation, and anti-corruption efforts.

2019 campaign platform

During the campaign, Sotto indicated that his top priority would be healthcare in Pasig as an anti-poverty measure. Despite the numerous health facilities in Pasig, he stressed the importance of adequately supplied medicine.

Another priority area for Sotto was housing. He assured the public that every family living in Pasig would eventually own their own house and promised that informal settlers would not be forced to leave their homes until primary services and livelihood could be assured at the selected relocation site.

As part of his platform on education, Sotto pledged to make scholarships more accessible to Pasig residents by simplifying the requirements in the application process. Among the requirements he singled out for removal was the requirement that parents submit copies of their voter's registration documents while applying for Pasig scholarships. To prepare for the upcoming school opening under the 'new normal,' Mayor Sotto was able to raise P1.2 billion to provide tablets and laptops to its public school students in elementary, junior and senior high school, and their teachers.

In response to the management style of the previous administration, Sotto also promised that all city government decisions would undergo a public consultation process. He also promised transparency in government projects, from planning to implementation, to monitoring and evaluation. More specific initiatives proposed by Sotto under this agenda item include public officials appointing members on local special bodies, and forming sectoral councils in areas such as transport and environmental protection, tasked with developing legislation in those areas.

Sotto also indicated that his administration's anti-corruption drive would begin with the establishment of a "Government Efficiency and Anti-Corruption Commission," the establishment of a Pasig anti-corruption hotline, and assurance that a non-governmental organization or civil society organization would watch over each of the city government's bidding processes.

A key strategy Sotto pledged to use to achieve his five-point campaign platform was data-driven governance. On the campaign trail, he stated that one of the roots of poor public service in Pasig was the culture of "palakasan," in which citizens exerted themselves to gain the favor of public officials to access services. Sotto's proposed solution to this problem was to ensure that decisions on the provision and prioritization of services would be based on data, rather than the political will or whims of officials.

2019 electoral victory

Vico Sotto defeated incumbent mayor Robert Eusebio in the 2019 Pasig local elections, ending the 27-year rule of the Eusebio family over the Pasig mayoralty. He was sworn into office on June 30, 2019.

Early policies and positions

Policy against politicking

Sotto received favorable press coverage when he issued a policy statement against the proliferation of political propaganda signages prior to his inauguration. A supporter had taken the occasion of Sotto's 30th Birthday on June 17 to post a tarpaulin greeting the Mayor-elect on his birthday. A few days later, Sotto went on Twitter to request that the tarpaulin be removed, and asserting that such politically-oriented signage bearing his image would be discouraged during his term.

He has also made statements discouraging the "celebrity treatment" of politicians in the Philippines.

Reassessment of traffic management

Sotto's first executive order upon being sworn in as Mayor was to put in place a Pasig City Traffic Management Task Force, which was tasked to "review and propose new solutions for the current mobility and traffic situation" within 45 days. The same executive order abolished the Pasig odd-even coding scheme, which the previous administration had implemented on top of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's Traffic Coding Scheme – a double burden which Sotto had earlier decried as being "disjointed and unjust."

Picket line incidents

Zagu Foods

On July 9, 2019, media reports noted that Sotto had visited protesters who were being forced away from their picket line in front of the main factory of Zagu Foods Corporation in Pasig. He reminded Zagu Foods' management that the protesters were within their rights to engage in protest activities.

Regent Foods

In November 2019, Sotto intervened in another picket line incident – this time with Regent Foods Corporation, 23 of whose workers were arrested after they clashed with company security guards and police officers while protesting the company's labor practices. Sotto called on Regency to "rethink on the charges it filed against its employees," issuing a statement claiming that "These people are not criminals; they do not have the goal of hurting you. They are fighting for what they believe to be just." Sotto also said he was raising funds to bail out 23 arrested employees would need.

Crackdown on illegal POGO-related services

In February 2020, Sotto again gained positive media reactions as a result of his efforts to crack down on illegally-operating businesses linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). On February 23, Sotto ordered the closure Fu Yuan Ji, a restaurant catering to POGO employees, which opened without securing a permit from the city to operate.

2022 reelection campaign

Sotto at Giting ng Pasig's campaign rally at Pasig Mega Market on March 25, 2022

In July 2021, Sotto announced his plans to run for reelection as Pasig mayor in the 2022 Pasig local elections. While he did not have a running mate for vice mayor in 2019, Sotto selected former Pasig representative Robert Jaworski Jr. as his running mate for vice mayor. They ran under the Giting ng Pasig (Bravery of Pasig) ticket. They were elected in the elections, defeating the ticket of incumbent vice mayor Iyo Bernardo and lawyer Ian Sia.

In August 2024, St. Gerrard Construction intended to file a lawsuit against Sotto who accused the former for alleged Hakot (local slang for people summoned and perhaps paid to be warm bodies in a political activity such as rallies) Protesters' from Quezon City against his ₱6 billion new city hall project. Pasig resident Ethelmart Cruz filed with the Ombudsman a graft complaint against Sotto, officers Melanie de Mesa and Jeronimo Manzanero, anchored on alleged tax discount to Converge ICT. The company, however, denied receiving a 100% discount on ₱3.67 million waiver of penalties in 2022. In a second lawsuit lodged with the Ombudsman, Pasigeña Michelle Prudencio alleged Sotto including officers Elvira Flores, Jeronimo Manzanero and Josephine Bagaoisan violated the Government Procurement Reform Act and Republic Act No. 3019. The case stemmed from the alleged undistributed cash allowance for Pasig City Hall employees.

Political affiliation

Sotto originally ran as an independent for a seat in the Sangguniang Panglungsod of Pasig and won without any party affiliation.

In 2019, Sotto joined Aksyon Demokratiko, a national political party founded by former Senator Raul Roco in 1997. He was sworn into the party alongside Roman Romulo, who won as representative in Pasig's sole legislative district and Marielle del Rosario, who ran as representative of Navotas. Despite political pressure, Sotto refused to join larger, more established parties, explaining that he chose to join Aksyon Demokratiko because he shared its platform of pushing for freedom of information, political party reform, and the end of political dynasties. However, six months after his re-election as Pasig mayor in 2022, Sotto resigned from Aksyon Demokratiko due to differences regarding the party's direction, noting that "recent events have made it apparent" that its members no longer shared similar political goals and ideals.

Although he is not part of any national party, Sotto has formed a local party in his stronghold, Giting Ng Pasig.

Electoral history