Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto reminded voters on Friday, April 1, that the issue of vote-buying during the electoral campaign period will only be resolved by addressing its root causes.
On Twitter, Sotto said: "Matitigil lang ang pamimili ng boto kung naiintindihan ng bawat isa sa atin kung paano ito nagiging bahagi ng paulit-ulit na siklo ng pandarambong at kahirapan #Halalan2022" (Vote-buying stops when we understand how it contributes to the cycle of corruption and poverty).
The post was made in relation to a CNN Philippines article posted on Wednesday, March 30, regarding Commissioner Aimee Ferolino's appointment as the head of the Commission on Elections (Comelec)'s task force against vote-buying.
Sotto has consistently stressed the importance of solutions based on in-depth examinations of social issues in his campaigns.
In Team "Giting ng Pasig"'s proclamation rally on Friday, March 25, the first day of the local campaign period, Sotto said he aims to enact "real change that digs deeper, one that we may be able to pass on to the next generations".
The incumbent mayor is vying for a second term, running on anti-corruption and pro-transparency platforms.
In terms of the upcoming elections, he has refused to endorse any national candidate, opting to dismantle the system of patronage politics that was rampant in Pasig City prior to his term.
The city is open to all candidates, and supporters are free to discern their own votes without being dictated upon by the local government, he said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Tuesday, March 22.
As for his own re-election campaign, Sotto previously stated that he "would rather be called by people as a frugal person than a thief", highlighting the importance of utilizing the city's budget correctly and properly.
"HINDI pa rin tayo gagastos ng malaki. Tandaan- ang gagastos ng malaki sa kampanya, ay malaki rin ang babawiin (We will still not lavishly spend . Remember - those who spend more will also retrieve more)," he said in a Twitter post on Oct. 6, 2021, just days after he filed his certificate of candidacy (Coc) with Comelec on Oct. 1.