LET me be very clear that “Vico Sotto troll farm(s)” does not mean the Pasig City mayor is paying for them himself. I will explain later. Nevertheless, Vico’s troll farm(s) exist to harass anybody who might tarnish, one way or another, wittingly or unwittingly, the manufactured immaculate image of Sen. Vicente Sotto III’s nephew.
Here is the background:
I have been saying for decades now that I do not believe that an incorruptible politician exists in the context of Philippine politics. My explanation begins with how expensive elections are in the country. Moreover, people need to disabuse themselves that by “election” what I mean is the second Monday of May every three years.
Wise politicians do not begin their political campaign during the official election campaign period only. In fact, their own personal “campaign period” has neither beginning nor end. The moment they cease being in “campaign mode” an opportunity is opened for upstarts to unseat them.
Millions of new voters register for every new election cycle in the country. For example, the total registered voters during the 2022 national elections according to the Commission on Elections was 65,745,526. That figure went up to 67,839,861 for the barangay elections in 2023 and 68,618,667 voters for the 2025 midterm elections.
Moreover, there is a high level of volatility among swing voters during elections. Take the recent case of the city of Manila, where Honey Lacuna got 538,595 votes, or 63.68 percent of the total, to win by a landslide the mayoralty race of 2022 against rivals Alex Lopez and Amado Bagatsing. In her reelection bid in 2025, Lacuna only managed 190,617 votes, or 21.19 percent, to lose to comebacking Isko Moreno, who got 530,825 votes, or 59.02 percent. Those missing 348,000 votes from 2022 probably swung to Moreno, the overwhelming winner in 2025.
Wise politicians cannot afford to relax just because they won in the most recent elections because the tide could turn in an instant.
In the 2019 local elections, Moreno (mayor) and Lacuna (vice mayor) were the standard-bearers for the Asenso Manileño Movement (Asenso) party. In 2022, Vice Mayor Lacuna became the official candidate of Asenso for mayor as Yorme ran for the presidency (and lost). In 2025, Isko came back as the mayoralty bet of Aksyon Demokratiko party to challenge his former ally Lacuna’s reelection bid under the Asenso banner.
Observers say they predicted Isko’s challenge long before May 2025. Still, it simply means that political configurations change in the blink of an eye.
Consequently, campaign expenses unavoidably rack up as wise politicians invariably seek to solidify their political base 366 days a year, even in a nonelection season, more so with the advent of social media and the aggressive (and disguised, thinly or otherwise) campaigning that happens there. Production costs for a whole-year-round social media presence also add up, including, in most cases, the budget for troll farms.
Campaign costs really add up: dole outs, publicity materials, hangers-on, venue preparations cost, mobilization, food, transportation, communications — the list goes on and on. Some can be passed off as disguised expenses of the local or national government, but the remaining cost is still staggering no matter how creative politicians are in diverting public funds for their campaign.
It scales up even more for politicians operating at the national level.
Many wise politicians do well to save up on “maletas” of cash during happier times — meaning while they still enjoy the perks of power, including easy access to public funds or assets (including public projects) that could eventually be converted to rebates they can pocket. Even the less rapacious politicians will still find it obligatory to accumulate (illicitly sourced) funds for campaign purposes.
Successful politicians often spend more than their rivals for campaign purposes, even — or more so — during the nonelection season, in order to keep their hold on their supporters and new or swing voters. Politicians probably dominate politics in their bailiwick because they consistently outspend their (would-be) rivals, inside and outside the official campaign period, and during nonelection years.
People are probably going to be shocked if the truth comes out about how much politicians actually spend every time they visit their constituents. Mobilization, security, coordination, the press — who would never cover an inconsequential event for free — dole outs and other not-immediately-visible expenses add up. Ordinary citizens just do not always realize the true cost of it. There will always be dole outs every time a politician comes to visit otherwise people will stop attending these events.
Do you believe the communities themselves will spend just so a politician can visit them? Then it is probably time for you to go see a doctor.
I sound like a broken record but politicians need endless maletas of cash. No one is exempted.
So, I said I do not believe that Vico Sotto is as “clean” as his drumbeaters say he is. I added that people like him — i.e., those who like to manufacture an immaculate image — usually employ what I call señorito-style corruption. It means that in order to maintain their pristine image, politicians often have a muchacho/alila/katulong who does the dirty work for them. The most careful among the señoritos usually maintain several layers or buffers between them and the muchacho/alila/katulong bagman. I am sure there is also a trusted, life-long mayordomo/a who supervises everything for the señoritos to keep their noses clean at all times.
At that point, the trolls came flooding in on my social media account.
As I said in the beginning, I do not believe Vico himself pays for these trolls. Señoritos, as mentioned, are always above the fray. The mayordomo/a probably has a muchacho/alila/katulong assigned for this task.
Can I prove it? Are you kidding me? That will only come out if the mayordomo/a and/or the muchacho/alila/katulong flips, which obviously has not happened (yet?).
All I have for this piece is logic and lifelong study of Philippine history, culture and politics.
