Presidential aspirant Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (4th from left) and vice presidential Vicente Sotto III (2nd from right) with senatoriables Guilermo Eleazar, Miguita Padilla, and Monsour del Rosario during their Cebu visit on December 10. | CDND File photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is grateful for the endorsement that he received from the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) led by former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Sotto, who is running for vice president in the May 2022 elections, said that Osmeña has been his partner in extending aid to the Cebuanos.
“I would like to thank, of course, Tommy Osmeña, for the endorsement. It is a common knowledge naman na hindi lang ako grandson ng Cebu but also I am in good friends with the Osmeña,” he said during his Cebu visit on Friday, December 10.
“We have always been together in helping the City of Cebu. My gratitude,” says Senator Sotto, who is a grandson of the late senator Vicente Sotto, a well-known and well-respected Cebuano legislator.
Senator Sotto said the city has been his second home since he is also an adopted son of Cebu City.
In a press conference on Dec. 8, Osmeña announced that BO-PK will be supporting Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo for President and Sotto for Vice President.
Osmeña said that while Robredo’s tandem, Senator Francis Pangilinan, is a good man, BO-PK decided to support Sotto because of his friendship with their family.
He recalled a personal experience that his wife and former councilor Margot Osmeña had with Sotto when she was still president of Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko foundation.
Margot is BO-PK’s mayoral candidate.
“Buotan man nga tawo si Kiko pero ganahan mi og maminaw. Kay akong asawa, presidente ni siya sa Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko… Hapit na mahurot ang kwarta sa foundation. Iyang giduol si Tito Sotto. Nihatag og P5 million. He saved the lives of many children,” said Osmeña said.
(Kiko is a good man but we prefer someone who will listen. My wife used to be president of Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko.. And the foundation’s funding was almost depleted. She approached Tito Sotto and he gave P5 million. He saved the lives of many children.)
He said the BO-PK will always prefer candidates like Robredo and Sotto who listen to the concerns of the Cebuanos.
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