Vico Sotto Defends Calling Out Journalists on the Discaya Issue
VICO SOTTO – The Pasig City mayor defended his decision to call out well-known journalists over their coverage of Sarah and Curlee Discaya, a couple now facing questions regarding allegedly irregular flood control projects. Sarah Discaya, who lost to Sotto in the 2025 mayoral elections, and her husband own St. Gerrard Construction and other companies currently being investigated by the Senate and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for possible anomalies.
Sotto raised concerns after veteran broadcasters Julius Babao and Korina Sanchez featured the couple in separate interviews, highlighting their “rags-to-riches” story. While the reports focused on their success, Sotto questioned whether the journalists considered why the Discayas were allegedly willing to pay millions for media exposure. Both Babao and Sanchez’s camps denied receiving any such payments.
In an interview with the Models of Manila vlog, Sotto clarified that his intention was not political grandstanding but rather to encourage accountability in both government and media. He emphasized that corruption cannot be addressed if the public and the press avoid uncomfortable conversations. For him, confronting issues directly—rather than ignoring them for convenience—is necessary for the country to progress.
The mayor pointed out that corruption often begins with small, unethical acts before escalating into large-scale anomalies involving billions in public funds. He stressed the importance of consistency in investigations and ensuring that wrongdoers are punished, not just exposed. Sotto also cited President Marcos’s own remarks about “ghost projects,” adding that widespread collusion between politicians, contractors, and officials has long been treated as a “standard practice” in government.
Sotto maintained that his statements were not politically motivated, noting that he deliberately avoided raising these issues during the campaign to prevent them from being dismissed as mudslinging. Instead, he chose to focus on his platform. Now that investigations are public, he believes it is the right time to shed light on the matter.
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