As the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law Class of 2026 prepares to leave their alma mater and enter the legal profession, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto delivered more than a commencement speech—he offers a glimpse into the emotional weight of public service and a warning about the difficult choices that await them after graduation.
Speaking during the UP College of Law commencement exercises on Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Quezon City, Vico reminds the graduates that the biggest battles they would face would not be inside the courtroom, but within themselves.
"Wherever life takes you, you will eventually be pressured by others or tempted by circumstance into crossing ethical boundaries, compromising your principles, and sacrificing your integrity," warns Vico.
The warning came from personal experience.
Since becoming Pasig City mayor in 2019, Vico has championed honest and transparent governance in one of the country's most highly urbanized cities, which now has a projected population of more than 860,000.
But he admits that fighting entrenched systems and pushing reforms has often left him emotionally drained.
Vico says: "You know, many times as a government official who has been trying his best to fight against the old norms, mga lumang kalakaran, as someone who has been trying to fight for positive reforms and changes in our government, I have to admit to you that many times, I feel frustrated almost every day.
"At a certain point each day, I feel a certain level of frustration.
"And if I were to be completely honest with you, sometimes I do feel frustrated. A lack of hope. Parang ang bigat naman sabihin na hopeless. But the truth is, sometimes I do feel hopeless.
"But standing here on this stage in front of you right now, looking at your glowing faces, looking at the class of 2026, I feel hopeful again.
"I feel a resurgence of hope in my heart looking at all of you."
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LOOK INWARD BEFORE TRYING TO CHANGE THE WORLD
From there, Vico shifts the focus from government to personal responsibility.
He acknowledges that criticizing corruption and demanding accountability from public officials is necessary. But he says lasting change begins with one's own character.
"At ang totoo, madaling mamuna, madaling maghanap ng mali sa ating kapwa.
"Mas lalo ang madaling mamuna pag nakita natin yung mga mali, yung mga hindi magandang balita sa telebisyon, sa social media.
"At tama naman yun, di ba? Karapatan natin, tungkulin natin na sitahin ang mga public officials natin."
He then challenges the graduates to examine themselves first.
"But before we aim to change society and the entire government, maybe we should look inwards first. Let's zoom in first. And maybe we should aim to better ourselves first.
"Sa Facebook, galit tayo sa kurap. Pero pag may exam tayo, nandaraya tayo."
YOUR INTEGRITY WILL BE TESTED
Vico says the graduates would soon discover that real life presents ethical dilemmas far more difficult than anything taught in law school.
"There will come a time when you will have a boss, you'll work for a firm, or any other company that accepts as standard the practices of bribing judges, policy makers, regulatory agencies.
"There will come a time when you become part of a team, an office, a local government unit, where they say there is a standard operating procedure, an SOP, or an automatic kickback, maybe of 10 percent, 20 percent, or maybe more.
"If you run for public office, the veterans are likely to tell you that you will not win unless you buy votes.
"If you work for a private firm, perhaps the management will ask you to falsify a record, misdeclare your earnings, or otherwise engage in fraud and deceit.
"You may be asked or tempted to contribute to the ecosystem of disinformation, misinformation, or fraud.
"Wherever life takes you, you will eventually be pressured by others or tempted by circumstance into crossing ethical boundaries, compromising your principles, and breaking your integrity."
Read: Mayor Vico Sotto plans to teach at a university in 2028
THE 10 PRINCIPLES THAT KEEP VICO GROUNDED
Vico shares that one of the questions he is most frequently asked by students and young leaders is how to preserve one's values despite operating within broken systems.
To answer that question, he reveals a personal list he wrote years ago—a set of reminders he still returns to whenever he feels at risk of being consumed by the system:
- Preparation is more important than courage.
- Make a list of non-negotiables and review them regularly.
- When in doubt, choose faith, conscience, and integrity over money, power, and ambition.
- Study cognitive dissonance and continuously identify how and where it affects you, your decision-making, and opinion-forming.
- Get out of your echo chamber from time to time.
- Check your ego every single day.
- Have people in your life who share the same or similar principles, values, and beliefs.
- Allow said people to keep you grounded.
- Give these people the license to hold you accountable.
- Have a healthy level of respect, but also be willing to go against the status quo.
Reflecting on the list, he says: "I don't even remember what year I wrote this.
"But it's actually a list of things that serve as a reminder to myself. So you can adopt it or not.
"Pero para sa akin, nakatulong po ito."
"WILL CHANGE BE POSSIBLE?"
As he closed his speech, Vico reminds the graduates that the country's future would not be shaped by a single president or one charismatic leader.
It would depend on people like them.
"Whether you like it or not, you, the class of 2026, will determine the future of our nation.
"Will change be possible? Will we be forever trapped in this vicious cycle of inequality and poverty, of corruption and injustice?" he asks.
Despite admitting earlier that he sometimes feels hopeless, Vico says he still believes the country's future is moving in the right direction.
"Though sometimes it may be difficult to see, the trajectory of our nation is positive. It's upward."
He then left the graduates with one final question: "How quickly can the country move toward a better future for its people?"
According to Vico, the answer does not rest on one person.
"The answer will not be determined by the President alone, although leaders are important, nor by a single charismatic figure. There will be no savior for our nation."
Instead, he says meaningful change will come from ordinary people who choose integrity over convenience and refuse to compromise their principles.
"When you find yourself at the crossroads, will you choose the easier, more convenient path to success? Or will you stand with integrity? Will you stand for truth and justice?"
Read: Vico Sotto gives a glimpse of plans after his term ends in 2028