Vico Sotto, Cayetano take oath of office

MANILA, Philippines — Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto vowed to outdo his accomplishments during his first term as he was sworn into office yesterday.

Sotto took his oath before Pasig Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Danilo Cruz at the Ynares Sports Complex in Barangay Oranbo.

The reelected mayor was joined during the oath-taking by his mother Connie Reyes, who held the Bible, and his father Vic Sotto.

In his speech, Sotto highlighted the achievements of his first three years as mayor and promised to outdo them in the next three years.

“I put a lot of things on the line, including my life, just to introduce reforms in Pasig. When I entered the mayoral race in 2018 until I won in the 2019 elections, we were ready to give it our all,” Sotto said, hinting at possible threats to his life.

“But we did not falter. While I might have been the face of reform, I might have been the one leading as your mayor, but the truth is I would not have been able to do this on my own. Our allies from 2018 until now made contributions to our reforms. You also placed your lives on the line,” he added.

Transparency, freedom of information and accountability are among the cornerstones of Sotto’s crackdown on corruption at city hall.

While the mayor spent most of his first term addressing the pandemic, he has been able to maintain his platforms for clean governance.

Sotto earlier cited the efficient tax collection and the regularization of contractual city hall workers as some of his achievements.

He also thanked his runningmate Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski and Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo as well as the council members who ran with him.

In Taguig, Mayor Lani Cayetano was sworn into office yesterday, vowing an accountable and transparent local government in the next three years.

Cayetano’s oath of office was administered by Taguig Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge Antonio Olivete.

The other city officials were sworn in by the mayor’s husband, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

The rites were held at the Senator Renato Cayetano Memorial Science & Technology High School in Barangay Ususan.

Cayetano said her administration would focus on programs to make the local government “accountable with full transparency.”

She said she would intensify the programs on peace and order, health and economic growth.

Swap of positions

Mayors in the cities of Valenzuela, Caloocan and Navotas have passed on their seats to their family members.

Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian and First District Rep. Rex Gatchalian swapped positions as they took their oath before Sen. Imee Marcos on Wednesday.

Rex, who finished his three terms as mayor, thanked his constituents. He asked Wes to continue and improve the programs that he initiated for the people of Valenzuela.

In Caloocan, Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan replaced his father, Oscar Malapitan, who was elected representative of the city’s first district.

The Malapitans took their oath before Sen. Cynthia Villar at city hall.

In Navotas, Tiangco brothers Toby and John Rey took their oath as congressman and mayor, respectively, on Wednesday.