Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto on Thursday branded as lies a circulating Facebook post alleging that the city government has P33-million worth of unliquidated cash.
The Facebook post from a user named Anthony Torre, who posted a document showing the city's millions of unliquidated cash advance, urging Sotto to "come out with the truth."
Sotto addressed the allegation on his official Facebook page with a copy of the certified record from the City Accountant, which showed that the actual unliquidated cash advances only amounted to P576,000.
"Inedit ang dokumento, binura ang liquidations, tapos pinost. Sa madaling salita, kasinungalingan," he said.
(The document was edited, the liquidations were removed, and the posted. In other words, lies.)
Sotto then asked where Torre got the nerve to spread such lies, which he said could be considered a criminal offense.
"Mukhang criminal offense ang nagawang pag-edit ng public records at paggamit nito para mang-akusa ng korapsyon," he said.
(It seems like editing public records and using it to accuse someone of corruption can be a criminal offense.)
The Pasig mayor also pointed out how Torre did not look into the nearly P100-million unliquidated cash advance back in July 2019 when Sotto was first elected.
"But FYI, we asked the former mayor's employees to explain. [And] my team even helped them liquidate it properly," he said.
According to Sotto, there is nothing wrong with cash advance as long as it is the last option and is liquidated properly - especially amid the pandemic.
"May mga bagay na pabigla-biglang nangyayari at mahirap iplano. Iilan lang din naman ang puwede maging Special Disbursing Officer para rito."
(There are things that suddenly happen and are hard to plan. There are only a few people who could be Special Disbursing Officers for it.)
Politics
The Pasig mayor said in his post the people behind the fake document have been tarnishing his name for years, adding that he knows who they are.
Sotto added that Torre, whose Facebook profile bared that he is a supporter of former Mayor Bobby Eusebio, should just campaign for who he wants and to stop being bitter.
"Salamat po sa pagbasa. Sana po ay nakapag bigay linaw ako sa katanungan mo. Ikampanya mo po ang gusto mo, pero panahon na siguro para bawas-bawasan natin ang pag-inom ng ampalaya juice," he said.
(Thank you for reading it. I hope it clarified your inquiries. Campaign for the person you want, but maybe it’s time to refrain from drinking ampalaya juice.)
Hacked?
Sotto also took a slight jab at the recent post of former Pasig Mayor Eusebio, who recently claimed that his Facebook account was hacked after posting rants about the lack of Christmas decorations in the city.
"Baka naman na-hack ka lang din?" Sotto asked Torre, in reference to the former mayor's Facebook post.
(Are you also hacked?)
Sotto is currently running for re-election in Pasig, after toppling decades of the Eusebio family’s rule there.
