Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday filed a resolution seeking to honor Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto after he was named an international anticorruption champion by the US State Department.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Sotto has been named among 12 International Anticorruption Champions who “defend transparency, combat corruption and ensure accountability.”
The mayor, 31, is the nephew of the Senate President and son of actors Vic Sotto and Coney Reyes.
Senate Resolution No. 660 seeks to “honor and commend” Sotto “for being recognized as one of the International Anti-Corruption Champions… for prioritizing anti-corruption and transparency initiatives not only in his election campaign but more importantly while in office.”
“This recognition by the US 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 resolution read.
The senators lauded Sotto’s “transformational brand of leadership,” adding that it has made Pasig City a role model for other local government units.
“Mayor Vico Sotto’s feats have brought pride to our country. He has set the bar high for the future leaders of our nation,” they 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.
The resolution also noted Sotto’s major political endeavors in his fight against corruption.
In a post on his social media account, Mayor Sotto said that though reforms have been implemented in Pasig, there were lapses committed during his tenure of office.
“We have triumphed in many reforms in Pasig, but it is not easy to disrupt decades of corrupt routines. We have made mistakes, had failures along the way. People got mad, some have sabotaged us, but what’s important is we have stood our ground,” he said.