Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. (File photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
While insisting he did not violate any law when he made a “na-ano’ remark to Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said he would be ready to inhibit himself as chairman of the Senate ethics committee that would handle the ethics complaint filed against him this Wednesday.
“I haven’t read the complaint, but we live in democracy,” Sotto told reporters after a five-page complaint was filed by eight women representing various groups. “We have freedom of speech, we have freedom of expression, we have freedom of the press, we have freedom to waste our time. So it’s a welcome thing,”
“As a matter of fact, it might be another blessing in disguise because then automatically I will inhibit myself and then I will take leave from the committee on ethics and that will solve my dilemma with Sen. (Leila) de Lima because Sen. (Panfilo) Lacson will take over. So maganda yun.”
Lacson is the vice chairman of the ethics committee.
Sotto said he would immediately take an indefinite leave as chair of the committee as soon as he had officially received a copy of the complaint.
“I will read it, but I will inhibit myself. Mag le-leave na ko,” he said.
The senator said it would be proper for him to take a leave “out of delicadeza.”
“I definitely have that (delicadeza),” he said.
Sotto refused, however, to comment further on his “na-ano” remark, which he made during the confirmation hearing of Taguiwalo last May 3.
“I already gave my comment,” he said. “Eh, yun na lang ang comment ko because kung mag-comment ako dyan hahaba na naman ang usapan, mauuwi sa parliamentary kung anu-ano yan, immunities at kung anu-ano. Huwag na. Tama na yung sinabi ko. Ihope you can quote me on what I said.”
Asked if he thought he had violated the Magna Carta for Women as alleged by the complainants, Sotto said: “Definitely none. I didn’t even… parang na sho-shortcut ko yung sagot eh. Anyway, read the journal. Read the journal of the CA. Tingnan niyo kung meron akong pinoint na tao at kung meron ako sinasabi na parang kanino yun. Sinasabi ko, kumbaga sa ano, quote, I quoted a street language. Again as I said it’s (ethics complaint) a welcome thing.”
During the CA hearing, Sotto asked about Taguiwalo’s status, noting that she was single and yet she had two children.
“In the street language, when you have children and you are single, ang tawag lang ay na-ano lang. Thank you, you have my 100-percent support, Madam Secretary,” Sotto said.
He immediately apologized after he was bashed in social media. /atm