MANILA — St. Gerrard Construction is looking at  possible legal actions against Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto after the local chief executive accused the company of bringing Quezon City residents to mount a rally against the new Pasig City Hall project.

Sotto earlier told ABS-CBN News that several community leaders told him that St. Gerrard was behind the dubious rally against his administration’s new City Hall project.

“Nagulat sila at medyo worried sila na dinala yung pangalan ng company,” SGC representative Atty. Raymund Mendoza told reporters, noting that the company was in a team building event in Mandaluyong when the issue reached their camp.

“Medyo uneasy din sila. Medyo uneasy kasi hindi din naman madai ma-drag sa story na ganoon. Of course, they have their reputation to protect,” he said in a press conference.

“They are also looking at how to protect the interests of the said corporation… It’s not definite now. They are just looking at options that could possibly include legal action,” he said.

Vico foils rally vs new Pasig City Hall, discovers protesters are from QC

SGC is “not involved” in the rally against the new Pasig City Hall project, Mendoza said.

“Malabong St. Gerrard kasi 99 percent of St. Gerrard employees are from Pasig so they have no reason to hide, no reason to send people from other cities,” he said.

SGC is a construction company based in Pasig City.

SGC has recently been active in going around Pasig City offering various services such as feeding programs, medical missions and free health-related services. 

This has prompted rumors among Pasig residents that the construction company is planning to launch its own slate in the 2025 midterm elections.

“Okay lang po sana kung totoo yung tanong pero kung dahil po sa pulitika na gusto nila sila yung may hawak ng project… guguluhin nila kasi gusto nila sila yung nasa kapangyarihan, ibang usapan po yun,” Sotto earlier told protesters in front of the Pasig City Hall.

“Pero kung nagbabayad ng troll farm sa Facebook, nagbabayad para mag-attend ng rally, masama po yan, hindi po maganda yan… Ang tanong, bakit ka gagastos ng malaki para sa ganoon,” the mayor said, without naming any entity.

'Mga hakot'? Protesters' reaction to Vico's question confirms his suspicion

When asked if Sotto’s tirades against SGC may be linked to the upcoming elections, Mendoza said that so far, he is not privy to the political plans of the construction firm’s owners.

“Maraming may interest sa politics so I think it’s unfair na si SGC agad ang pagbabalingan,” he said.

Sotto’s irk against SGC may have stemmed from an open letter from the company’s leaders, saying they could help lower the new Pasig City Hall’s project cost by nearly P1 billion, Mendoza said.

“I remember St. Gerrard offered their services para mabawasan yung 9 billion na cost or whatever cost,” he said, referring to the P9.6-billion project the Mayor unveiled during Pasis’s 450th anniversary.

“Yung offer nung St. Gerrard was to be able to lessen the cost around P800 million,” he said.

In a separate statement, SGC claimed that Sotto has always painted them as the villain in Pasig City.

“Madali para kay Mayor Vico na kami ay pagbintangan dahil tinatrato niya kaming kaaway dito sa Pasig simula noon pa man sa kabila ng mga adbokasiya at programa ng St Gerrard Foundation sa aming syudad,” the statement read.

“Makita niyo din na medyo malabo ang pag organisa. Masasabi namin na parang ‘medyo scripted’ ata?” it read.

Mendoza urged Sotto to be more mindful when making public assertions.

“Sana ingatan din ni Mayor yung pag-pinpoint niya kay SGC,” he said.

“Sana may facts po at kung mayroon naman, mayroon mang silang alitan, sana mapag-usapan nila.”