Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he is against the policy of "tandem voting" saying he believes a system of check and balance must be in place in government.
“Hindi ako sang-ayon (I don’t agree with it) practically because check and balance eh. Mas maganda nga may (it’s much better if we have a) check and balance (in government),” Sotto said during the PiliPinas Debates 2022 organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday night.
“In the Philippines, (we have) 64 million voters, (and) we will allow the presidential candidate na siya ang magbubuo ng (to appoint the) Vice President? 64 million Filipinos yun po dapat ang bumoto kung sino ang gusto niyang maging leader ng bansa, di ba (The 64 million Filipinos voted whom they wanted to be the leader of the nation, right)?” Sotto pointed out.
Sotto, who is running in tandem with presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, also reiterated that a vice president should never be regarded as a spare tire.
When vice presidential candidates present at the debates were asked what amendment they intend to introduce in the Constitution to strengthen the mandate of the Office of the Vice President, Sotto said he would choose to make the vice president be the Senate President of Presiding Officer of the Senate.
“Una sa lahat, hindi naman talaga spare tire ang Pangalawang Pangulo kung alam mo ang gagawin. Kahit hindi ka bigyan ng posisyon (In the first place, the vice presiden cannot be spare tire if he/she knows what to do. Even if they are not given a position),” Sotto said.
“Ngayon doon sa katanungan sa akin, gagawin kong Senate President or Presiding Officer of the Senate ang Vice President. Yun ang pinakamaganda. Nagawa ko po noong araw yan (Now on that question, I will make the Vice President, the Senate President or Presiding Officer of the Senate. That would be the best move. I was able to do that in the past),” he explained.
Sotto recalled that when he was elected vice mayor of Quezon City, the city vice mayors were appointed presiding officers of the City Council.
He also said he was able to put up the Vice Mayor’s League in 1989 and asked Congress to amend the Local Government Code to make the municipal vice mayors in the whole country to be the presiding officer so they wouldn’t become the “spare tire” and they can participate in the Council.
“Nagawa po namin yan (We were able to do that). And look at the municipal councils now, they are being run by the vice mayors and they are partners of the Mayor. Kaya po ganun po ang pananaw ko (That’s my opinion),” the Senate leader stressed.