Vice presidential aspirant Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday admitted that having Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan as an opponent in the vice presidential race in next year’s elections is a “big deal” with his family.
But Sotto said he views the situation differently from that of his wife, Helen Gamboa-Sotto and his children.
“To each his own. That question would better be asked my wife and my children. They have a different perspective as far as I am concerned,” Sotto said in an interview on ANC Headstart.
“Sa akin (for me), I brush it off. To them, it's a big deal,” Sotto added.
Sotto’s wife Helen, is aunt of Pangilinan’s wife, Sharon Cuneta, a prominent showbiz personality. Helen and Cuneta's mother Elaine are sisters. Pangilinan is running for vice president in tandem with Vice President Leni Robredo who is running for president in the May 2022 elections.
Sotto, on the other hand, is running in tandem with Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
Sought to comment, Pangilinan said the situation is painful also for their family, especially for his wife.
"All families have their share of conflicts between family members as well as misunderstandings and ours is no exception. It is painful for Sharon and our family too,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan said he and his family could only hope and pray for reconciliation and forgiveness in the end.
According to Sotto, even his nephew, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto is also trying to avoid discussions on national politics.
“Ang nakarating sa akin, ganito (What I was told was that): he said that he would not want to indulge or participate in the national politics of his political party because he has a relative running for a national post. That was his exact quotation. You can already gauge it from that,” Sotto said.
Nevertheless, the Senate leader said he is not bothered by relatives that would be supporting other candidates.
“It is part of politics, ganoon talaga...No, it doesn’t bother (me). It does not. I would be bothered if it’s Vic Sotto or Joey De Leon),” he pointed out.