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Manila Bulletin

Philippines

Sotto denies family an emerging dynasty in PH politics

Philippines

Sotto denies family an emerging dynasty in PH politics

By Hannah L. Torregoza

Vice presidential aspirant and Senate President Vicente Sotto III has rejected opinions that his family has become an emerging dynasty in Philippine politics.

Sotto, during The Mangahas Interviews on Saturday, said that as far as he is concerned the Sottos who are in politics are serving in different fields.

While he is serving as head of the Senate leadership, Sotto said his nephew, Vico Sotto is serving as Pasig City mayor, while his son Gian Carlo, is vice mayor in Quezon City.

“Hindi political dynasty yun. Nagkataon lang na magkakamag-anak (kami) (It’s not political dynasty, it just happens that we are relatives),” Sotto said during the interview.

But the term “political dynasty” must have a clear definition and should be extensively debated in Congress, the Senate leader said.

“That should be debated on; we need to define what do you mean by ‘political dynasty’. If there is concentrated influence, then it becomes political dynasty,” Sotto stressed.

The Senate President also downplayed anew the political rivalry between him and vice presidential candidate Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

Actress Helen Gamboa-Sotto, Sotto’s wife, is the maternal aunt of actress Sharon Cuneta, who is Pangilinan’s wife.

In their case, Sotto pointed out, they do not share the same surname.

“I see that happen in politics, it happened in Caloocan, that already happened among siblings. That also happened in Makati city, among siblings),” he noted.

“What’s good in our case is we do not have the same surname, so I’m brushing it aside,” Sotto reiterated.

Related Tags

Tito Sotto political dynasty vice presidential candidate Kiko Pangilinan May 2022 elections sotto PH politics

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