Sarah Discaya says she was born in London, defends eligibility in Pasig mayoral race

MANILA, Philippines (Updated April 17, 11:00 a.m.) — Tensions are running high in Pasig City’s mayoral race as incumbent Mayor Vico Sotto and challenger Sarah Discaya trade barbs and accusations.

After Sotto said on April 14 that his opponent Sarah Discaya’s husband had filed and later lost a disqualification case against him before the Commission on Elections (Comelec), he claimed he might have grounds to disqualify Discaya in return.

Sotto alleged that Discaya used a British passport in 2025, citing reports he received about her flight details in January. 

He said he chose not to file a disqualification case despite this, claiming he wanted to show Pasig residents that his camp is “breaking away from the cycle of traditional politics and corruption.”

The law. Under Republic Act No. 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003, Filipinos who become naturalized citizens of another country must renounce their foreign citizenship to be eligible to run for public office in the Philippines.

Discaya’s camp, however, argued that she is a dual citizen by birth. Her legal counsel, Edward Gialogo, said she was born in London to Filipino overseas workers. 

“There was no violation or wrongdoing on the part of Mrs. Sarah Discaya that can be used as grounds for disqualification,” he said in a statement on Wednesday, April 16. 

SC ruling. They pointed to a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that clarified Republic Act 9225 does not apply to Filipinos who acquired foreign citizenship by birth, exempting them from the requirement to renounce it when seeking public office.

Citizenship by birth means a person becomes a citizen either by being born in a country or by having one or both parents who are citizens. Meanwhile, naturalization is when someone becomes a citizen of another country after they’re born.

“Being a dual citizen by birth, she automatically acquired British citizenship by being born in London, while retaining her Filipino citizenship,” Gialogo added.  

Discaya’s legal counsel dared Sotto to present his evidence to his claim that the mayoral bet may be disqualified for violating Philippine laws.

When Sotto vs Discaya started

During the campaign period, Sotto has also been facing an online smear campaign, including trolls, where videos of vulnerable were used to speak against him and his leadership. In the videos, people interviewed said they would vote Discaya instead.

The fight between Sotto’s and Discaya’s camps went on as early as September to October 2024, near the filing of certificates of candidacies. 

It started when Sotto revealed that the Discaya’s family firm, St. Gerrard Construction is under investigation for multiple cases, including fraud, misrepresentation, use of dummies, contract anomalies and use of substandard materials.

The incumbent mayor also pointed to documents showing that St. Timothy Construction — a company originally involved in financing Miru Systems for the new automated counting machines — is linked to a firm owned by Discaya. Comelec decided in October that the firm will no longer finance Miru Systems.

Its office is located on the same street as St. Gerrard’s and two other companies affiliated with St. Timothy. The address is also home to a four-story building and compound shared by the four firms owned by the Discaya family and their associates, according to a report by Right to Know, Right Now Coalition.

In October 2024, the Discayas said they were “provoked” to join the 2025 elections in response to the issues raised by Sotto, who is seeking his third and final term as Pasig’s mayor.