FEATURE
#viVICO:
vivico
Young politician steals the nation’s heart By Yusrhina Usman and Tasha Eugenio
T
he nation’s young mayor Victor María Regis “Vico” Nubla Sotto is adored by countless netizens because of his dedication and perseverance to provide his service for a better Pasig. This 30-year old young politician is the son of showbiz veterans; Vic Sotto and Coney Reyes. Vico has 5 stepsiblings and is living independently. Before he ventured into the world of politics, he took up Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2011 from Ateneo de Manila University. To further pursue his calling in politics, he got a post-graduate degree in Public Administration at the Ateneo School of Government last 2018. Before becoming the Pasig City Mayor, Vico once served at Sangguniang Panglungsod (City Council) of Pasig in 2016 as the city councilor. Despite having less experience in politics, he finally ran for the position of mayor in Pasig in 2019 as an independent candidate in his optimism of improving the living conditions of the city with his “Big V Agenda” for the citizens. He clearly stated his visions to make Pasig better, specifically in these five areas: universal healthcare, housing programs, education, public consultation, and anti-corruption drive. Vico successfully won the election and was instated on June 30, 2019, as the mayor of Pasig. On his first State of the City Address, Sotto said that “this
has been the most challenging 100 days of my life.” He is on his way to make changes for the city and make his agendas come to life.
His effectiveness as the mayor of the city has been immediately put into test in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pasigeños’ trust for their beloved mayor did not falter and the man himself did not disappoint his people. Even before the declaration of Luzon lockdown, as soon as the cases inflated, his administration took immediate actions in which 45 public schools in the city were routinely disinfected; he deployed disinfection drones as well as 500 disinfecting kits to lessen the COVID-19 cases and distributed goods for those who are deeply in need. It is not only his constituents who appreciate his efforts to battle out the pandemic, but other city mayors also took credit what Sotto has done and applied it in their own area. An example would be the implementation of mobile palengke in Valenzuela; it is originally a project from Pasig to lessen the trip to public markets and in accordance to social distancing rule. All of his measures against the pandemic were applauded not only by the Pasigeños but also by the Netizens.
Despite the praises that he garnered over the past month and the popularity he gained with the younger generation, the young mayor was not able to escape the criticizing eyes of the administration and their supporters who were vocal in showing their dismay towards him. On April 1, 2020, Sotto was summoned by National Bureau of Investigation in regards his “supposed violation” of the Republic Act 11469, or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin even sent him a letter of invitation to their office to explain his side in the issue of his disobedience with the quarantine policy. The said violation was when Sotto allowed tricycles in Pasig City for the transportation of the health workers which is allegedly a violation of Bayanihan Law’s Section 6 (a) for disobeying the national government policies which include the suspension of mass transport. Sotto obliged and was ‘confident [that] nothing will happen’ with him being called by the NBI. The matter was deemed as a ‘useless political move’ and senators have been defending him saying that there was ‘no law violated.’ Vico Sotto, with his charming looks and sense of humor, caught the eyes of the netizens and became an instant trending topic. Tagged as a “millennial mayor”, his numerous innovative measures against the COVID-19 crisis in light of the enhanced community quarantine brought him the support of thousands of Filipinos. Regardless of the criticisms that was thrown at him by his bashers, the young mayor showed “grace under pressure” in handling the issues which were adored by his fans. His drive in protecting the welfare of his constituents is what made people get closer to him and respect him as an authoritative figure— which is probably the reason why a lot of people showed sympathy and support towards the millennial mayor during the backlash that he faced. The future seems bright for the 30-yearold politician and despite having only three years of experience in the field of politics. Vico Sotto clearly showed that being a good politician is not based on age but rather, having the heart of a true public servant whose goal is to put the public good above all.
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