MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it will be providing legal assistance to the family of a woman with a mental health condition who was coerced into discrediting Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto in a viral Facebook video.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian confirmed the agency’s involvement in an interview on Thursday. 

He said that the DSWD’s legal team is investigating the incident, with plans to hold those responsible accountable.

“Our legal team is looking into the angle of who did this, where it was done, and we will make sure that we exhaust all legal remedies to make these people accountable,” Gatchalian said during the interview.

If the victim’s family decides to file a complaint, Gatchalian stated that the DSWD will pursue charges under Republic Act No. 7610, the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act,” and Republic Act No. 7277, the “Magna Carta for Persons with Disability.”

Gatchalian also noted that the incident appears to be part of a broader issue, as other individuals from vulnerable sectors were reportedly profiled in the video to speak negatively about the mayor.

“People in the marginalized, vulnerable, and poor sectors are somehow being used one way or another for electoral gains of people… this particular case is quite alarming because it can trigger similar setups in another part of the country,” Gatchalian said.

The DSWD is working with the National Bureau of Investigation’s Cybercrime Division and Meta Philippines to identify the perpetrators and remove the viral video. Gatchalian emphasized the department’s goal to prevent such incidents from recurring.

“We want to make sure that, one, we unravel their identities. Two, that they get punished, even those that posted this. But more importantly, that this does not happen and nobody replicates it again and again,” he added.

The DSWD is also providing the victim’s family with financial assistance and psychosocial support to help them cope with the situation.