When Mayor Vico Sotto took his oath for a third and final term in Pasig City on Monday, June 30, he proved to those who once doubted him that genuine change and honest and good governance are possible.

Sotto recalled how, in 2019, when he first ran as city mayor and standing by his principles, he was told by many people that what he was trying to do was impossible and that if he even wanted a chance at winning, he would need to spend a lot of money.

He said he was still willing to listen to them at first. However, when he found out that the same people who claimed to want change had come up with a campaign cost that totaled more than P1 billion, he rejected it.

“Umaabot na sa more than 1 billion pesos yung computation nila. Sabi ko, sa'n naman ako kukuha ng ganyang pera? Sabihin na natin na gagawin ko. Sa'n naman ako kukuha ng ganyang kalaking pera? (Their computation was already over P1 billion. I said, ‘Where would I even get that kind of money?’ Let’s say I went along with it, but where would I find that much money?),” Sotto narrated.

“Sabi sa akin, kami nang bahala sa fundraising… Alam na. Sa madaling salita, tinanggihan natin yung ganong klaseng luma o tradisyunal na estilo ng politika (They told me, ‘We’ll take care of the fundraising’… You know what that means. In short, we rejected that kind of old, traditional style of politics),” he added.

“Sabi ng marami, imposible, sabi ng iba, ‘siraulo kayo, hindi mangyayari ‘yan, hindi kayo mananalo.’ Long story short, alam naman po natin ang naging resulta (Many said it was impossible. Others said, ‘You’re crazy. That won’t happen. You’re not going to win),” he added.

In 2022, during his second run for mayor, he said there were still some individuals who told him that while he had already won his first term, securing a full three-term run would require him to continue the old political ways. Otherwise, they warned, no politician would support him moving forward.

However, instead of giving in to those urging him to continue with the practice of old politics, Sotto said he stood his ground, with a bit of skill and intelligence, but more importantly, with conviction, courage, and stubbornness. He added that it also helped to have people around him who genuinely believed in their vision for the city and gave him the strength to keep going.

He acknowledged Rep. Roman Romulo as one of those who gave him the strength to keep going.

“Hindi ko po ito nagawa, ni-hindi ako nagsimula sa laban na ito kundi ako binigyan ng lakas ng loob ng isang Congressman Roman Romulo (I wouldn’t have made it this far, the truth is, I wouldn’t have even started this fight if Congressman Roman Romulo hadn’t given me the strength and encouragement),” he said.

Sotto said that in 2022, they formed the first full lineup of Giting ng Pasig, with candidates who believed in the city’s direction and could be trusted.

“Swerte po ako dahil nakahanap ako ng mga kakampi. Ang hirap maghanap, sa totoo lang. Hindi ng supporter, pero yung mga kakampi na tatayo kasama mo. Sa konseho, lalo na para vice mayor (I’m lucky because I found true allies. To be honest, it’s hard to find them, not just supporters, but people who will stand with you, especially in the council, and even more so when it comes to the vice mayor),” he said.

The mayor thanked those who supported him and Giting ng Pasig, saying it was not just about the candidates but about the Pasigueños who continue to stand for change and reform in the city.

He also urged Pasigueños to unite and continue promoting good governance that is transparent and accountable to the people.