A graft complaint was filed against Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly giving a 100% tax discount to a telecommunications company.

In a 17-page complaint-affidavit, Ethelmart Austria Cruz accused the mayor of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service and dishonesty.

In the complaint, Cruz said that since 2018, Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., had declared for tax purposes that they are occupying an office space of 5 square meters and employing 4 people.

However, inspection reports dated July 18, 2022 and September 19, 2022 showed that Converge misdeclared the actual size of its office and the number of its employees as it actually employs 1,901 employees and occupies four floors of the office space with a total area of 9037.46 square meters.

A tax order of payment was issued on October 18, 2022, where the private company was assessed a total amount of P3,670,340.11, with a total surcharge of P447,106.77 and interest amounting to P979,570.27 representing deficiencies and delinquencies in the payment of fees and licenses.

Cruz however said that the mayor granted a 100 percent tax discount In favor of Converge which "constitutes the giving of unwarranted benefits and is a violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act."

"It shows the respondents' acts patently showed preference in the discharge of their duties when they issued a 100% tax discount," the complaint said.

"The proper remedy and course of action that would have been less detrimental for the City of Pasig was to enter into a compromise agreement," Cruz said in the complaint.

Sotto simply brushed aside the complaint filed against him.

"Anyone can file a complaint, it doesn't mean anything," he told reporters.