Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson have filed a resolution commending Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto for being recognized by the U.S. State Department as one of its “anti-corruption champions.”
In filing Senate Resolution No. 660, Sotto and Lacson extolled the young mayor for his “outstanding leadership” in Pasig City and the competent management of his town’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Mayor Vico Sotto’s feats have brought pride to our country. He has set the bar high for the future leaders of our nation,” the two senators said.
“Mayor Sotto’s leadership has brought hope to our people amid the economic gloom and political confusion caused by the COVID-19 health crisis,” they added.
In naming Sotto as one of its 12 International Anti-corruption Champions, the U.S. State Department described the mayor as a “standard-bearer for a new generation of Philippine politicians who prioritize anti-corruption and transparency initiatives in their election campaigns and in office.”
“This recognition by the U.S. State Department bestowed upon Mayor Vico Sotto, the only Filipino public servant in the roster of honorees, meaningfully uplifts the morale and dignity of the Filipino people amid the challenging times of global pandemic,” the Senate resolution read.
The resolution cited the mayor’s major political endeavors to ensure transparency in public service.
Among these endeavors include a city resolution that allowed easy accessibility to public documents, the elimination of kickbacks in the awarding of city contracts, the establishment of a 24/7 public information and complaints hotline, involvement of civil society organizations in the city’s budgeting and policy-making process, and lowering by at least 10 percent the value of all city government contracts to reduce bribery in the contract-awarding phase, according to the resolution.
The two senators praised Sotto for his “transformational brand of leadership,” which they said has made Pasig City a role model among the country’s local government units and earned his city the opportunity to be one of the pilot areas for the national government’s vaccine program.
Lacson and Sotto also echoed the U.S. State Department’s observation that the Pasig mayor has become the “standard bearer for the new breed of politicians who stands as the bright beacon of the land.”
Senator Lito Lapid filed a similar resolution commending and congratulating the Pasig City mayor for his recognition.
“Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken noted that Mayor Vico Sotto, together with the other awardees, serve as inspiration for the pursuit of truth, transparency, and accountability all over the world,” Lapid’s Senate Resolution No. 659 read.