PASIG City Mayor Vico Sotto on Saturday slammed allegations that he violated the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) aid ban, after a former city hall employee filed a disqualification case against him.
Victor Barral, a former Pasig employee, accused Sotto of vote-buying through the distribution of scholarship allowances by the city government on May 7.
In response, Sotto clarified that the Comelec had granted Pasig an exemption from the election spending ban as early as March 24, allowing the regular release of allowances through the Pasig City Education Department.
“Taasan naman natin ang tingin sa mga kabataan – alam ng mga scholars na hindi sa akin galing ‘yan!” he said.
The mayor stressed that Pasig’s scholarship program has been apolitical for six years.
“Sa totoo, isa nga sa unang ginawa natin nung 2019 ay tanggalin ang mga requirements kung saan nagagamit ang scholars sa politika –di na required attendance sa parada, hindi na nakapangalan sa politiko ang programa, etc,” he added.
