There’s no other public servant capable to be the next vice president of the Philippines than Senator Vicente Sotto III.
Popularly called “Tito Sen,” the legislator’s competence for public service has been proven by his performance in the Senate, having able to pass into law almost 20 significant measures.
The most recent and relevant measures that the senator authored were the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1) and the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Bayanihan 2).
Sotto also filed a bill seeking to give deserving students free financial assistance in pursuit of their dream of being doctors.
As a senator with strong political will and principles, Sotto opposed the use of emergency contraceptives in the Reproductive Health Bill.
He is also the brains behind the creation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the implementing arm of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) – the policy-making and strategy-formulating body on drug prevention and control in the Philippines.
This took form his pursuit of a drug-free Philippines.
To allow overseas Filipino workers (OWFs) to vote from other countries, Sotto authored the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) law.
Sotto has been serving the Filipino people on both local and national levels for more than 30 years already.
Commendably, Tito Sen has no absences as he managed to be physically present in all Senate sessions since 2010. He is currently the Senate President of the Philippines.
In a report by Rappler, former Senate president Aquilino, during the turnover, cited Sotto’s experience and hard work, saying Sotto is the go-to person for solving problems in the chamber.
“My nominee is an institution in the Senate. He has been there and done that in his long career in the Senate,” Pimentel said.
He also praised Sotto’s “dedication to his work,” adding that “he is always present, always on time, always prepared.”
Sotto started his political career in 1988 as vice mayor of Quezon City. He founded the Vice-Mayors’ League of the Philippines and served its first president.
He was elected senator and served two consecutive terms in office from 1992 to 2004.
Sotto was reelected to the Senate in 2010. He became Senate president after he secured his second term in 2016.
Based on the latest nationwide survey conducted by Pulse Asia, Sotto ranked third with a voter preference of 11 percent. He shared the spot with former senator Bongbong Marcos.
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” topped the survey with a 16 percent preference.
Senator Manny Pacquiao (15 percent), and Duterte-Carpio (15 percent), tied in the second spot.
Go claimed the fourth sport, getting the nod of 9 percent of adult Filipinos.
Following Go were Cayetano and Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero (7 percent each), and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, and Senator Juan Edgardo Angara (3 percent each).IMT
