Gorillas on Vico Sotto’s back

This is part of the “Culpabilities of Mayor Vico Sotto.”

The learned segment of Pasig City citizens are asking: Why did Mayor Sotto demolish the multi-level parking building that was constructed seven years ago at a cost of more than P200 million?

The demolition of the parking building was done to erect a more expensive P9.6 billion new city hall.

The multi-level parking building was in very good condition. All the structural beams were in A-1 condition. Their value retained 80 percent of the new one. These recoverable items should have been bidded out. The bidder should have paid the government the sum of money, instead of being paid for the contract to demolish.

It was surprising how the costly building so quickly disappeared from public view at the whim of their popular and youthful leader whose ambition is being propelled by leading show stars that dominate the country’s entertainment world.

Such a seemingly unstoppable influence in politics in a developing country like the Philippines is dangerously leading to the formation of a unique socio-political-economic culture of fun loving and laughing Filipinos whose capacity to win friends and influence people is overwhelmingly contagious to the greatest number of our 117 million population, whose only escape from hardships and poverty is seeing stars, actors and actresses whose flashes of beauty and antics in their intoxicating shows make them forget their hard lives.

Such is the potential danger facing our country. Our helpless people can be misled to become so fun loving to make our country the laughing stock of Asia and the Pacific.

Ongoing conflict involving crime and drug related cases pending with Pasig City government.

Engr. Selwyn Lao said: “I have no desire for political warfare. For over 40 years, I have served as a private businessman with no conflict with government. This is the first and only time my name has been dragged into controversy — and it happened in Pasig under Mayor Sotto’s administration.

“Under the leadership of Mayor Vico Sotto, we witnessed a troubling culture of power intoxication. Where the public office is not used to serve the Pasigueños — but to weaponize the law and government processes against private persons, all for the sake of publicity and self-promotion.

“Without the benefit of investigation, Mayor Vico recklessly posts inflammatory statements on social media, attempting to vilify and spread hate targeted at private persons. Then uses his public office to give an air of legitimacy to his fabricated and imagined narratives.

“While Mayor Sotto’s sensationalized and imagined narratives are scandalous, provocative and garner the media attention they are designed to obtain, they still remain false and fabricated tales that serve only to advance his long term political agenda.

“This reckless pursuit of media attention and publicity stunts showcase a disturbing trend of prioritizing personal gain over public service.

“This is not governance. Public service is not a telenovela.

“The people of Pasig and the Filipino public deserve public officials who are truly committed to serving their interests, not those of their political careers and self-interests,” concluded Engr. Selwyn Lao.