Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto said a known financier and former barangay administrator of Barangay Kalawaan had been arrested over an alleged scheme that targeted young government officials, particularly members of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), by offering to facilitate projects in exchange for control over public funds.

Sotto said the arrest was part of the city’s continuing effort to dismantle what he described as long-standing corrupt practices in local government.

“Hindi po natin ikinasasaya (ang mga ganitong pagkakataon), pero kailangan po natin gawin. May mga susunod pa na mapapaaresto, mapapakulong, dahil ito yung kasama sa misyon natin,” Sotto said during the city’s flag-raising ceremony.

The mayor did not name the arrested individual but described the person as a veteran supplier-financier who allegedly approached barangay and SK officials with offers to simplify procurement processes.

According to Sotto, the alleged scheme involved financiers promising to handle paperwork and provide cash advances for projects, leaving officials with little accountability over the use of funds.

“Lalapitan nila yung SK. Sasabihin nila, ‘Chair, para hindi ka na mahirapan, kami na bahala sa papeles mo,’” Sotto said.

He said such arrangements were especially dangerous for newly elected SK officials who may be unfamiliar with government procurement rules.

“Bata ka, 20-something years old, first time mo magkaroon ng posisyon sa gobyerno. Hindi mo naman alam kung anong gagawin. Napakahirap,” Sotto said.

The mayor said the alleged practice could trap officials in a cycle of irregular transactions, where financiers later demand higher returns and push officials toward questionable projects.

Sotto said the arrest was part of a broader push to change entrenched practices in local governance, acknowledging that reforms would take time.

“Hindi ito kaya sa isang term ng mayor. Hindi kaya sa nine years,” he said. “Pero hanggang saan tayo makarating, we will push.”