Accused of Vote Buying

May 2019. PDP Campaign Manager Mike Defensor filed a vote buying case against newly-elected Quezon City mayor Joy Belmonte and vice mayor Gian Sotto with two others at the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

May

2019

“In my three terms of vice mayor, one of my advocacies was really the fight against illegal drugs. We are happy that, in Quezon City, we have seen many barangays progress from being severely affected to moderately affected or slightly affected. We have been adding more and more drug-cleared barangays in the past months, and I can assure you that the local government will continue to do so,”

June

2019

“Our message to the LGBT sector is that you are safe here; we welcome you here; we protect your rights here and you can call Quezon City your home,”

March

2019

"By tradition, Quezon City is also known as a bastion of freedom, knowledge, and diversity, and the presence of multiple media networks in QC embodies these values. For this reason, we stand by and fully support ABS-CBN in its pursuit of a fresh 25-year franchise to operate

February

2020

“The idea is to decongest our hospitals by putting these machines in our HOPE facilities so that our mild to moderate or asymptomatic patients can have their X-ray done at the soonest time possible,”

April

2021

"It scares our constituents. Our job is to protect and make them feel safe...and what they're doing is the opposite. It sows fear." (April 2021)

April

2021

“There was an informal survey because it was a legislative measure, and we [mayors] are implementors…with regards to this particular legislation, we were asked on what our stand would be. I don't know why [we were asked]. I did say I am in favor of an anti-terrorism law, but in the form that was presented to us, I was not in favor of that form. There were certain provisions that I was not comfortable with. I believe this is a vote of conscience. What if this is my son who was detained for x number of days for a mere suspicion? I would be very uncomfortable with that.

July

2020

“We will continue supporting the Philippines’ response to the pandemic, get the COVID-19 vaccines in people’s arms, and build back better,”

November

2021

"Quezon City’s Enhanced Local Climate Action Plan was successfully developed with the support of the UK government. With the assistance of the C40 Cities Finance Facility, the city is also pioneering the deployment of solar PV on public schools and on critical public healthcare facilities, contributing to a green and just recovery. We are immensely looking forward to continuing our fruitful partnership with C40 to implement Quezon City’s Climate Action Plan as a matter of urgency, continuing the journey together with the support of the UK government,"

November

2021

Mayor Joy Belmonte signed Ordinance No. SP-2876 on Oct. 15, which bans the distribution and utilization of single-use plastics in the city.

December

2019

“We are really getting ready for the resumption of face to fce classes now that COVID-19 cases have dropped to its lowest in NCR”, Belmonte said. “Throughout the city, we are continuously visiting and inspecting all schools to make sure that every student and teacher will be safe, once face-to-face classes are approved by national government.” “All deficiencies in the facilities found by the teams are immediately remedied, and rest assured we are giving them all out support,”

December

2021

"Other types of charter change get to be very suspicious especially when the term of the president is ending, right? If there is a genuine charter change, then this should have been brought up at the beginning of the term to appease the suspicions of the public. That's why charter change is harder to hurdle, because of the timing. There's an issue of suspicion and an issue of timing, and I think these things have to be taken into consideration."

February

2021

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/03/2075064/no-time-charter-change-amid-covid-19-pandemic-metro-manila-mayors-say

“Ideally, according to the principles of federalism, there will be equal development in the entire Philippines. Those who live in poor areas would no longer need to look for opportunities in the city. This is important so the people in the provinces will no longer go here in Metro Manila,”

March

2018

“We must remember that lives are at stake. We all must support the national government’s urgent call for a vaccine mandate, especially given the new surge in cases. We appeal to those not yet vaccinated to get their shots as soon as they can. Also, we encourage those who have not yet gotten their booster shots to do the same,”

January

2022

“I’m very happy with that gesture of reconciliation. I think that’s a sign of great maturity. And I think that should be the mindset of all politicians,” - the vice mayor said in an interview yesterday when asked about the President’s statement about political turncoatism.

March

2018

“If the reasons for divorce are based on grounds enumerated in our annulment or legal separation laws, like physical abuse, bigamy, fraud, infidelity, homosexuality, drug addiction, [and] habitual alcoholism, I am okay with that. There should be sound grounds before a married couple is allowed to divorce.. The definition is important. We really need to study it first,”

February

2018