A woman philanthropist from Pasig City announced on Saturday that she will run for mayor against Mayor Vico Sotto in next year’s midterm elections.

Sarah Discaya, chief financial officer of St. Gerrard Construction and Development Corporation, made the announcement in an ambush interview during a medical mission conducted by the St. Gerrard Construction Charity Foundation at Barangay San Miguel, Pasig City.

“Actually, I’ve been avoiding this question for a long time. But since the filing of certificates of candidacy is fast approaching and many people are encouraging us to run, maybe this is the right time to say that yes, we will be running for public office,” Discaya said.

Discaya, or Ate Sarah as she is fondly called by her friends and supporters, has been conducting a series of medical missions in all barangays of Pasig City for the past months — not only in Pasig but also in other areas.

She and her husband, Curlee Discaya, have been involved in many charitable works as part of their company’s corporate social responsibility, focusing primarily on healthcare.

They said they have experienced the feeling of helplessness when loved ones are sick and lack the funds for hospitalization and medicine.

“Why? You may say that we have a business and we earn enough. Yes, there’s still something missing for us, and that is to help others,” Discaya added.

She also vowed not to commit corruption if elected as the new mayor of Pasig City, stating that she will never seek reimbursement for expenses incurred during the medical mission and other social services, including financial assistance provided to all Pasigueños.

“We don’t ask for anything more; we are so blessed. We have lots of projects outside of Pasig. Actually, that’s what I’ve been telling you last time: that every time we have a medical mission, we collect more than we spend,” Discaya said.

“So, it’s not true that we will get back what we spent. Ours is true service for the Pasigueños. We have seen a lot of things that were lacking, which we aim to address through these medical missions,” she added.