Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Vice Mayor Robert Jaworski Jr. file their certificates of candidacy at the local Comelec Office on October 5, 2024. Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA — Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto on Saturday urged the public to keep a close eye on the 2025 midterm elections, saying that the former joint venture partner of election tech provider Miru Systems has a record of fraud and anomalous activities not just in Pasig City. 

STCC President Miguel Juntura was a former employee of St. Gerrard General Construction and Development Corporation (SGGCDC), Sotto said, citing data from St. Timothy’s general information sheet filed before the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

“Ang residential address nung Miguel Juntura ay yung St. Gerrard building din po,” he said. 

“Sino po si Miguel Hintura? Ayon po sa kaniyang Facebook profile bago niya dinelete, siya ay empleyado ng St. Gerrard Construction. In fact he is a marketing director of St. Gerrard,” he said. 

SGGCDC owner Sarah Discaya is expected to run against Sotto for Pasig City mayor in the 2025 elections. 

READ: Vico Sotto links 2025 election rival to Miru System’s ex-partner 

READ: Vico Sotto, Dodot Jaworski file candidacy for re-election in Pasig 2025 race

“Ang hindi ko talaga maunawaan kung papaano maiisip ng isang tao, ng isang grupo na okay lang na party ka sa isang kontrata ng Comelec at tatakbo ka rin sa eleksyon na yun,” the mayor said. 

“Hindi ko talaga maunawaan kung paano naiisip ng ibang tao na okay lang yun,” he said. 

While St. Timothy Construction Corp (STCC) has already withdrawn from the multi-billion election deal, the issue is still a “matter of national importance,” Sotto told reporters. 

STCC pulled out from its partnership with Miru Systems after the Comelec flagged a possible conflict of interest after the poll body received reports that a person linked to one of its contractors is planning to run for a public post. 

“They were part of the contract from the beginning mula procurement hanggang bidding hanggang kung kailan man sila nag-withdraw,” he said. 

“Even behind the scenes mga tao nila pinagmamalaki na hawak nila yung kontrata na yan ng Comelec,” he alleged. 

“Honestly, kaya ko ito binabanggit, kaya ko ito sinasapubliko because this is a matter of national importance,” he said. 

Juntura was never employed in SGGCDC, said Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II, chief executive officer of the construction firm. 

“Hindi namin siya tao talaga. May sarili siyang company, may sarili siyang TIN (tax identification number),” Discaya told reporters in a separate interview 

“Hindi po siya naging marketing director ng St. Gerrard. Sarili po niyang company yan at ang makakasagot po niyan ay mga abogado niya,” he said. 

ABS-CBN News has been trying to reach Juntura for comment but has yet to receive a reply. 

READ: Comelec reviews possible liabilities of St. Timothy Construction 

Discaya said he was acquainted with Juntura as they are both contractors who participate in the bidding of government projects. 

The SGGCDC chief admitted that he invested in STCC in the past, but underscored that he has divested from the firm as early as 2017. 

“Hindi ko po alam saan natatakot si Mayor Vico sapagkat si St. Timothy ay nagwithdraw na so wala na pong collusion, wala ng conflict kung mayroon man po,” he said. 

Sotto said he is still harping on the issue as the public needs “to make sure that our elections have integrity.” 

“Ngayon nagpapasalamat po ako sa Comelec…  I thank them for taking the appropriate actions, initial actions to ensure the integrity of the elections, but hindi pa po tapos,” the Pasig mayor said. 

“Kailangan bantayan natin nang maigi para makasiguro tayo na hindi sila mag interfere sa operations at sa machines sa automated machines na kasama sila diyan mula bidding hanggang po nag-withdraw sila just a couple of days ago,” he said. 

“We need to ensure, we need to make sure, we need to watch carefully,” he said. 

Comelec chairman George Garcia earlier said that the agency is looking into possible issues or sanctions against STCC’s pull out months before the midterm elections.

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