Senators to Vico Sotto: Don’t forget your love life

BY VANNE TERRAZOLA

He’s amiable, handsome and charming, but Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto remains single.

Small wonder he got ribbed by several senators during the plenary session on Monday where the chamber was discussing the resolution that commends Sotto’s recognition as one of the United States’ international anti-corruption champions.

Though there are many applicants to become the First Lady of Pasig, the son of comedian Vic Sotto and nephew of Senate President Tito Sotto, the young mayor had politely declined to talk about his love life.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri even advised the 31-year-old Sotto not to forget his private life in serving the public.

“However, honest to goodness public service sometimes can be a deep passion to man like us. That we are sometimes too engrossed in it with our devotion to serve the people na minsan nakakalimutan na natin ‘yong ating private life,” said Zubiri.

“Kaya ang payo ko kay Mayor Vico, huwag niyang kalimutan ‘yong private life lalong-lalo na ang kanyang love life. Yes,” he added.

Zubiri said he married late because of his work in government.

“O baka gusto niyang i-idolize ang ating pambansang bachelor ng Senado; Senator Sherwin Gatchalian,” the Senate leader jested, as the former Valenzuela City mayor is still single.

“He’s got a long way to go. But I understand there are many applicants,” said the Senate president.

“Yes, totoo po ‘yan. ‘Yan ang nababasa ko po,” Zubiri said.

Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, for his part, said that besides the local leaders’ many achievements, “Mayor Vico Sotto is also very amiable, very charming, very handsome like our presiding officer (Senate President Sotto).”

In August, 2019, Sotto, who was just elected as Pasig City mayor then, called out reports about his personal life, saying “it is not newsworthy.”

“If we want better governance, we should stop treating our government officials like showbiz personalities,” he said on Twitter.

Last week, the US State Department hailed Sotto as one of its “Anti-Corruption Champions” for “prioritizing anti-corruption and transparency” in his campaigns and office.

He said he hopes that the recognition will raise awareness and help get rid of corruption in Philippine bureaucracy.

“If we want better long-term governance, we need to fight corruption. We have to denormalize it, get it out of our culture,” Sotto said last February 24.