As Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto addressed the University of the Philippines College of Law Class of 2026 as the guest of honor, he shared the 10 principles he personally lives by to preserve his integrity and avoid being “eaten by the system” in public service.

On Saturday, July 11, Sotto shared his thoughts on how one can avoid being eaten by the system at a time when large-scale corruption and long-standing practices persist.

“It's actually a list of things that serve as a reminder to myself. So you can adopt it, or not, pero para sa akin nakatulong po ito (But for me, it really helped),” Sotto said.

“These are 10 things—there are more, but these are 10 things that I have done, and I try to continue to do that helped me from being eaten by the system,” he added.

●Preparation is more important than courage.

●Make a list of non-negotiables and review them regularly.

●When in doubt, choose faith, conscience, and integrity over money, power, and ambition.

●Study cognitive dissonance and continuously identify how and where it affects you, your decision-making, and opinion-forming.

●Get out of your echo chamber from time to time.

●Check your ego every single day.

●Have people in your life who share the same or similar principles, values, and beliefs.

●Allow said people to keep you grounded.

●Give these people the license to hold you accountable.

●Have a healthy level of respect but also be willing to go against the status quo.

As the guest of honor, Sotto expressed renewed hope after seeing the graduates, reflecting on the frustrations he faces as a government official working to challenge old norms and push for reforms.

“You know, many times as a government official who has been trying his best to fight against the old norms, mga lumang kalakaran, as someone who has been trying to fight for positive reforms and changes in our government, I have to admit to you that many times, I feel frustrated almost every day. At a certain point each day, I feel a certain level of frustration,” Sotto shared.

He also admitted that he sometimes feels hopeless, but said seeing the law graduates gave him renewed hope, saying, "I feel a resurgence of hope in my heart looking at all of you.

“I've heard that many of you have attended anti-corruption rallies, and part of the reason why I'm hopeful for our country and part of the reason why I'm hopeful for the future of our country is that I know that you care. You're not apathetic,” Sotto added.

Sotto warned them that there will come a time when they may face pressure to engage in bribery, falsify records, take part in corruption, commit vote buying, commit fraud, or contribute to the spread of disinformation and misinformation.

“Wherever life takes you, you will eventually be pressured by others or tempted by circumstance into crossing ethical boundaries, compromising your principles, and breaking your integrity,” he said.

Sotto cited a recent example involving an unsolicited proposal for a service in the city government, where the city administrator asked the proponent about the service cost, annual fees, maintenance fees, and other expenses. However, Sotto said the administrator only received a question asking how much or what percentage the “SOP” in Pasig was.

“Yung city admin ko, medyo nahawa na po sa akin pag may mga ganong tanong, medyo mainit na ang ulo. At sabi niya, huwag niyo kaming tanungin ng ganyan. Zero percent ang SOP namin, wala kaming ganyan sa Pasig, sabi niya (My city administrator has somehow been influenced by me when it comes to such questions. He gets a little heated and tells them, ‘Do not ask us questions like that. Our SOP is zero percent. We do not have that in Pasig),” the mayor said.

Sotto said the proponent was surprised and said they thought Pasig’s zero SOP was only something they heard in the news or through rumors.

“Sa madaling salita, parang nakarating na tayo sa punto kung saan mas nakakagulat pa kapag may nakasalubong kang honest kesa sa corrupt (In short, it seems we have reached a point where encountering an honest person is more surprising than encountering someone corrupt),” he said.

In his closing remarks, the mayor told the graduates that the country’s future would depend not on a single political leader but on the next generation of leaders and changemakers who can change perspectives and reverse harmful norms and practices.

He added that there will be no shortcuts toward a better nation.

“But if this next generation of leaders, including the class of 2026, if your generation will rise up as we have seen you already beginning to do, perhaps our nation will be in for a pleasant surprise.”

Sotto hopes that the Class of 2026 will become great lawyers who will live not only with excellence but, more importantly, with integrity.

“May you always choose to fight on the side of truth, fairness, and for the rule of law. May God bless you and your future careers. May God bless you and your families. And I look forward to everything that the future has in store for you. I look forward to witnessing you change our nation,” he stated.