PASIG city Mayor Vico Sotto yesterday warned his detractors he will expose them and their alleged illegal activities if they involve members of his family in the smear campaign against him.

During the city government’s flag-raising ceremony, Sotto said that since he filed his certificate of candidacy for reelection, the attacks, political and personal, against him have intensified, to the point that his detractors are now also targeting his family.

He said that if these people do not stop, he will have no choice but to fight back starting with identifying them.

“I ask these people to stop. Pero kung patuloy sila at idadamay pa pamilya ko, dito mismo sa flag ceremony ibubunyag ko kung sino kayo,” he said.

Later in the afternoon, Sotto promised his constituents that tax rates in the city will “never rise… while I’m still here.”

He made the commitment during the State of the City address (SOCA) held at the Rizal high school gym in Barangay Caniogan.

He also said the budget for the city government’s infrastructure, education and health programs will not be used to fund the construction of the new city hall, which is estimated to cost more than P6 billion.

He also promised to raise the financial aid for barangays from P3 million to P6 million. “(But) this aid must be carefully audited, meaning kailangan may mapuntahan ang nga financial aid na ito (meaning these financial aids have to yield positive results),” Sotto said.

He also said the city government will start distributing cash subsidy to the city’s solo parents next year, as well as increase the monthly pension of senior citizens.

In a related development, more offices have transferred to the temporary city hall located in Barangay Rosario.

These offices include the City Accounting Office, City Transportation and Development Management Office, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (except requests for CCTV viewing), Local Economic Development and Investment Office, Office of Rep. Roman T. Romulo, Office of General Services —  Asset Management Division (Technical Inspection Section, Receiving, at Request for Clearance from Accountability), and the Pasig Urban Settlements Office — Urban Poor Services Division (HOA concerns and issuance of Special Electrical Certificate for Residential Houses in Urban Poor Communities).

POLICE nabbed two men who robbed a woman of P5,500 cash and for firearm and ammunition in Teresa, Rizal after midnight last Saturday.

Maj. Edzel Macasero, local police chief, identified the suspects as alias Edmon, 33; and Brian, 34, residents of Taytay, Rizal.

Seize from them were a revolver with six live bullets, a Michael Kors wristwatch, and P5,500 in cash.

Investigation showed that at around 12:30 a.m. the suspects, riding a motorcycle, robbed the woman at gunpoint along La Trinidad St., Barangay San Roque, Teresa, Rizal.

The duo fled towards Antipolo City but local police gave chase and apprehended them on Zigzag Road, Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City.

Appropriate charges will be filed against the suspects.

IN line with President Marcos Jr.’s directive to prioritize the welfare of Filipino educators, the Department of Education (DepEd) has issued implementing guidelines for the rationalization of teachers’ workload in public schools and compensation for teaching overload.

Signed by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, DepEd Memorandum No. 053 serves as a supplemental issuance to streamline the application of the key provisions of DepEd order (DO) 005.

The memorandum addresses operational concerns raised by teachers and field personnel, ensuring consistency and clarity in the policy’s execution.

“By optimizing teachers’ workloads and providing fair compensation for additional duties, we are creating a more balanced and sustainable environment for our educators. This will ultimately enhance student learning outcomes,” Angara said.

DepEd Memorandum No. 053 reiterates that teachers are not required to teach more than six hours per day by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (Republic Act No. 4670).

In exceptional cases where teachers exceed the six-hour limit, they will be eligible for overload pay for up to two additional hours per day.

In instances where teachers have fewer than six hours of actual teaching, they may be assigned teaching-related tasks, proportionate to the time available.

These guidelines ensure that teaching overloads are managed transparently, with clear procedures for compensation and equitable workload distribution.

Teachers performing work beyond their regular six-hour load may earn Vacation Service Credits (VSC), providing additional recognition for their contributions.

Teachers will also have flexibility in completing ancillary tasks, with the option to perform them inside or outside school premises.

No additional reporting requirements will be imposed. Instead, teachers will simply track their activities using logbooks, locator slips, or certificates of undertaking.

To facilitate the smooth rollout of these policies, DepEd will provide standardized templates and materials through its online platforms.

An implementation team will oversee the policy’s enforcement across all schools, ensuring compliance with the established guidelines.

THE Antipolo government has warned the public against fake business establishments, particularly resorts, allegedly operating in the city which have been scamming people.

Mayor Jun Ynares said the city government has detected a new social media page using photos from another establishment involved in scams.

He identified it as the White Pearl Resort.

“That business does not exist in our BPLO and Tourism Offices database. White Pearl Resort is also not included in DTI’s portal of registered businesses,” Ynares said.

Other fake pages detected by the city government include Lovely Private Resort, Hidden Night in Paradise Private Resort, and The Montemayor Private Pool.

The Antipolo government cited tips to prevent people from being scammed by fake businesses:

1. Double check if the page you are looking at is the official page of the establishment despite it having multiple likers and followers;

2. Refrain from immediately transacting online especially if it involves a large sum of money and you don’t know who you are transacting with;

3. Verify with local and national government agencies if the establishment does exist in their respective databases. The DTI has a website where users may see the full list of registered businesses in the country (https://bnrs.dti.gov.ph/search); and

4. Immediately report dubious transactions to authorities.