Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III appeared to be the most competent among possible candidates for vice president in the 2022 national elections in terms of track record.
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.
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.
To allow overseas Filipino workers (OWFs) to vote from other countries, Sotto authored the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) law.
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 former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero (7 percent each), and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, and Senator Juan Edgardo Angara (3 percent each).IMT
Photo of Sotto by Rappler.com
