Wazzup Pilipinas!?
In a political landscape dominated by noise, one silence is louder than the rest.
Where are the voices praising Vico Sotto?
Among our presidents, vice presidents, senators, and cabinet secretaries in the past six years—how many have openly acknowledged the achievements of the young Pasig Mayor? How often do they speak his name with admiration?
Rarely. Almost never.
This silence, deliberate and heavy, begs the question: Why?
Since June 30, 2019, Vico Sotto has served as Pasig’s mayor, leading not with grandstanding or empty promises, but with the most radical weapon in Philippine politics: honesty.
Each year under his leadership, Pasig has saved an astounding ₱1 Billion—without slowing down on infrastructure, public services, or social programs. He achieved this not by magic, but by simply doing what most refuse to:
Transparent and fair bidding processes.
Honorable and efficient use of public funds.
Ruthlessly eliminating questionable transactions.
While many politicians obscure their financial dealings in layers of bureaucracy, Sotto has done the opposite—consistently and publicly reporting financial matters to his constituents. His governance style is an open book, a mirror reflecting what public service should be but so rarely is.
In 2021, the U.S. State Department honored Vico Sotto as one of the world’s Anti-Corruption Champions—a title so rarely bestowed upon Filipino politicians that it should have sparked national pride and celebration.
Instead?
Silence.
Why?
Because Vico Sotto's unflinching transparency makes the powerful uneasy.
Because his integrity is a stark contrast to the smoke and mirrors that shield their own dealings.
Because his presence alone is a comparison—an indictment of the way things have always been.
The unspoken reality is this: They fear him.
Not for what he says, but for what he represents.
A future led by someone like Vico would mean a future where lifestyle checks are real, where SALNs (Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth) are not just paperwork but the start of investigations, where public office is truly for the public.
Many in power don't want that.
Many among us, if we are honest, don't either—we have grown too accustomed to the comforting lies.
There is talk—whispers in the crowd—that Vico Sotto should one day be president.
But make no mistake: the path will not be easy.
Without the traditional political machinery—the alliances with governors, mayors, congressmen who control the votes—he would walk a brutal and lonely road.
We’ve seen it before: local officials sabotaging campaign events by offering the worst venues, national figures withholding endorsements, entire party systems closing ranks to protect themselves from the threat of genuine reform.
They will fight to keep him small.
And yet, there is hope.
Because if change were easy, it would have happened already.
Because real change has always been led by the few, not the many.
Because sometimes, the right man simply refuses to be silenced.
We can only pray that Vico Sotto remains true to himself. That he survives the system that has consumed so many before him. That his honesty, the very thing that isolates him today, becomes the light that rallies a nation tomorrow.
In a country where truth is often whispered, Vico Sotto dares to speak it aloud.
And maybe—just maybe—that will be enough.
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Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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