A TALE OF TWO MAYORS: THE SPEECH ACTS OF MAYOR SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO AND MAYOR VICO SOTTO IN ADDRESSING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

This paper examines the speeches made by Mayors Sara Duterte- Carpio and Vico Sotto in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The press statements were selected via nonprobability critical case sampling, and the data were analyzed qualitatively. The majority of Duterte-statements Carpio's were directive, whereas Sotto primarily employed Representatives. Mayor Sara Duterte-utterances Carpio's exhibit conditions of both degree of strength with sincerity and mode of accomplishment; her mode of communication was more direct. Representatives were frequently present during the manner in which Vico Sotto addressed the people of Pasig. During the epidemic, Sotto interacted with the public using speech act verbs such as assuring, asserting, reporting, and informing. Their method of communication was vital to how information was distributed in their cities and how government officials and citizens adhered to the quarantine's various stages. The successful management of the epidemic can be attributed to the mayors' speech acts and communication styles. In press statements, the use of Speech Act Theory by Searle and Classification of Speech Acts by Austin reveals the speaker's thoughts and what they intend to say to influence and persuade people.