Vico Sotto

A supporter had taken the occasion of Sotto's 30th Birthday on July 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.

Victor Ma. Regis "Vico" Nubla Sotto (born June 17, 1989) is a Filipino politician serving as the incumbent mayor of Pasig.

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 famous 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 from 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.

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.

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.

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.

Sotto received favorable press coverage when he issued a policy statement against the proliferation of political propaganda signages prior to his inauguration.