A woman with a psychological disability featured in a viral video criticizing Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto was coerced into making the statements, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, in an interview with ANC on Thursday, said the 57-year-old woman — identified only as “Mary” — was forced to speak against her will while queuing for free rice.
“She was coerced to make those disparaging statements against her will,” Gatchalian stated.
The video, posted on the Facebook page “The Journal Pasig,” showed Mary claiming she hadn’t received aid from Mayor Sotto and expressing her intent to vote for opposition candidate Sarah Discaya instead.
“Sana po matulungan kami na makabili ng bigas… Ako po wala pa po akong nakukuha,” Mary said in the clip.
However, Gatchalian revealed that the woman initially declined to be interviewed. Despite this, the people behind the video allegedly insisted, even relocating her to a different area.
“At that point, she kept on saying ‘I don’t know what to say.’ They said ‘Don’t worry we will teach you what to say,’” Gatchalian shared.
The DSWD chief said the incident left the woman “distraught” and “anxious,” prompting the department to step in with psychosocial support.
Gatchalian also disclosed that the filming occurred at the St. Gerrard Construction facility, which is reportedly owned by the Discaya family — whose matriarch Sarah is running against Sotto in the upcoming elections.
“It’s clearly orchestrated,” he noted, adding that the department is coordinating with Meta and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to have the video removed and to trace those responsible.
The woman’s family has publicly denounced the video, calling it a malicious exploitation of someone with a mental health condition.
