Group backs mayors Vico Sotto, Marcy Teodoro amid complaints

A group of mayors have expressed support for Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro following the filing of several complaints against them, noting that those could be politically motivated with the midterm polls approaching.

"The complaints filed against them with the Ombudsman are an opportunity for the truth to come out and for their names to be cleared," the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) said in a press release on Thursday.

"As a movement that advocates for good governance and the fight against corruption, we always prioritize transparency and accountability," the group said. "These three mayors have demonstrated and continue to embody these principles."

Teodoro serves as convenor of the M4GG, while Sotto is among its members. According to M4GG records as of August, the organization lists 180 mayors in its membership roster across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The group expressed hope that the probe would be fair and that justice will prevail for the concerned government officials.

To recall, Sotto and two other Pasig City officials are facing a graft complaint, among others, over the alleged illegal grant of discount to telecommunications provider Converge.

Also, Sotto and three other city officials are facing a complaint for graft and violating the Government Procurement Reform Act over the alleged undistributed cash allowance for Pasig City Hall employees.

A petition seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) has also been filed before the Pasig regional trial court against the construction of a new city hall. Sotto was identified as one of the respondents.

Sotto earlier said the filing of complaints against him was supposedly part of the dirty tactics of some political groups.

Teodoro, for his part, said the complaint filed against him seems to be part of a broader pattern of politicking and harassment aimed at the group, noting that the accusations against him were baseless and unfounded.

He also raised concerns about the timing of the complaint lodged against him before the Office of the Ombudsman.

"The complaint filed against me and other city officials coincides with the upcoming filing of candidacy for the next elections. It's hard to ignore the timing of this, as it raises some serious questions about the motivations behind it," Teodoro said in a separate press release. — VDV, GMA Integrated News