Yesterday, February 19, 2026, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto filed a legal complaint against mayoral rival Sarah Discaya over the issues involving the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures filed by S. Discaya in relation to the 2025 National and Local Elections in the Republic of the Philippines, over election campaign overspending.
This follows as a result of violating Section 100 related to Section 262 of the Omnibus Election Code, amended by the Philippine Republic Act number 7199, and Perjury under Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code, and a similar violation filed by Mayor Vico Sotto for stating that she knowingly made material untruthful statements in her SOCE, which was executed under oath.
In his complaint, Mayor Vico Sotto stated that the maximum allowable campaign contributions and expenditure for Sarah Discaya’s mayoral race in the 2025 elections was PHP 1,391,655.00, while her SOCE only reflected a total expenditure of PHP 895,000.00 listed under the Stationery, printing, and distribution of printed materials relative to candidacy, without declaring as to the use for digital and outdoor advertisements.
Both V. Sotto and S. Discaya ran for mayor in the City of Pasig, Metro Manila, in the 2025 Elections. Sotto was voted by 351,392, while Discaya was voted by 29,591 of Pasigueños. In the 2025 polls, about 463,885 voters are registered in Pasig City, Metro Manila.
In the case of the affidavit complaint against Sarah Discaya, only three pesos (PHP 3.00) per registered voter is the maximum allowable campaign contributions and expenditures allowed by law, if the candidate is connected to a political party. Sarah Discaya is affiliated with the Unyon ng mga Gabay ng Bayan (Union of the People’s Guides) political party.
The screenshots of the political online advertisements for Discaya were attached to the affidavit complaint that Mayor Vico Sotto had filed, which is also a possible part of what Discaya had spent to promote her candidacy. The online advertisements that Mayor Sotto filed in the complaint were uploaded to the DRPS One Channel via YouTube, both of which were posted on March 28, 2025, and April 1, 2025, during the campaigning period for local candidates.
In the video ad of Discaya on the DRPS One Channel, as also stated in his complaint, the first video appeared to be professionally rendered. It would display a statement indicating whether the campaign ad was either paid for by Discaya or contributed to the candidate. The second video also displays the same statement as the first video, but Discaya paid for the ad, while it was paid by the Chicco Francisco family.
DRPS One Channel is the TV Ad Archive property of the DRPS Philippine Commercial Archives (DRPS PHCA). The DRPS PHCA reviewed another campaign video on the DRPS One Channel, related to Sarah Discaya, which was not disclosed in the complaint; however, her 30-second campaign ad was also broadcast on television.
Based on the source from where the 30-second ad was found for posting on the social media platforms of the DRPS One Channel (YouTube, Facebook, and X/Twitter), the Sarah Discaya campaign ad, both the 60-second and 30-second versions of the video, was shown on-air via A2Z last April 5, 2025, during the commercial breaks of the televised version of the 38th Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Television.
Mayor Vico Sotto, as his complaint stated, also discovered that out-of-home billboard advertisements publicized Discaya’s candidacy in various locations in Pasig. It also expressly states a disclosure that she paid for (Political Advertisement paid for and by Cezarah Rowena Cruz Discaya, with their address disclosed).
Mayor Vico Sotto summarized a report of lawful campaign expenditures for Sarah Discaya, which she disclosed as PHP 895,000.00 for stationery, printing, and distribution of printed materials related to candidacy. In contrast, the other expenditures, including travel expenses, political meetings and rallies, and the use of sound systems, lighting, and decorations for the rally, and ad placements for newspapers, radio, television, and other advertisements to promote the candidacy, including website and internet ad placements, are disclosed as PHP 0.00.
Sarah Discaya, who was arrested in Cebu for graft, was known for the controversy surrounding the flood control project in several areas of the Philippines.
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© 2026 DRPS Philippine Commercial Archives (DRPS PHCA). All Rights Reserved. PHCA CID: PHCA-2026H1-3224/February 20, 2026.
