FACT CHECK: Post links Pasig City hall project to Vico Sotto 2028 Senate bid without proof

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Without any evidence, the video insinuates that the Pasig mayor is ‘using’ the city hall project for his political ambitions and claims this was also a tactic by his uncle, Tito Sotto

Claim: Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto is using the P9.6-billion Pasig City hall project for his 2028 senatorial bid, following in the footsteps of his uncle, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who spearheaded the new Senate building project for his own Senate comeback campaign.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: As of writing, the Facebook video posted on April 25 has garnered 44,000 views, 153 reactions, and 153 comments. The video is captioned, “Parehas ampaw! Ngayon alam niyo na sino ang utak ng P9.6B Pasig City Hall. Paghahanda para may pondo sa 2028 election for senator. Nakita niyo ba ang pattern? Kaya Pasigueño lahat to planado ginagamit lang tayo.” 

(Both corrupt! Now you know who is behind the P9.6B Pasig City Hall. It is preparation for [Vico’s] senatorial bid in 2028. Do you notice the pattern? All of this is planned, we Pasigueños are only being used.)

The video includes a clip of former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo commenting on the construction of the new Senate building in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. In the video, Panelo warned viewers about a reelectionist senator behind the project, which has been criticized for its high price tag. 

Text overlaid on the video and in the post’s caption insinuates that former Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto is “using” the Senate building project for his comeback bid. It also suggests that Sotto’s nephew, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, is banking on the Pasig City hall project for his future 2028 senatorial bid.

The facts: The video makes these insinuations but offers no evidence or other details to prove that the infrastructure projects are linked to the Sottos’ campaigns for government posts.

The page that posted the misleading video has a history of uploading content attacking the Pasig mayor, who is running for a third term as city mayor in the upcoming midterm elections. He is going up against Sarah Discaya, husband to Curlee Discaya and co-owner of St. Gerrard Construction. St. Gerrard was among the top ten contractors during the Duterte administration. (READ: [DECODED] Fake accounts, negative campaigning stir up Pasig mayoral race)

Pasig City hall project: Announced to the public on July 3, 2023, the new Pasig City hall complex project has been described by Sotto as “the biggest project in the history of Pasig City.” It involves the redevelopment of the city hall after experts found the hall to be “structurally inadequate.” 

Sotto, however, has clarified that the P9.6 billion price tag is for the entire city hall complex, not just the city hall structure itself. 

The project has drawn some controversy. In August 2024, Sotto met with protesters rallying against the new city hall project, who were apparently not from Pasig but from Quezon City. 

On April 28, Sotto also addressed the alleged lack of transparency behind the city hall project contract. In a Facebook post, the mayor said documents on the project are readily available on the Pasig City website. 

Senate building: Meanwhile, construction for the new Senate building began under the leadership of former Senate president Tito Sotto, who is again running for the upper legislative chamber in the 2025 midterm elections.

In an October 2024 press conference, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said the new Senate building will cost the government P33 billion. It has been criticized for high costs, with critics like Panelo saying in 2021 that the Senate should reconsider the project and turn the building into a modern hospital instead. (READ: What’s the controversy over the P23-B new Senate building all about?) – Ramon Franco Verano/Rappler.com

Ramon Franco Verano is a graduate of Rappler’s volunteer program. He is a fourth year History student at the University of Santo Tomas. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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