CEBU CITY -- The rigors of campaigning may have taken its toll on Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III but his optimism remains, with nine days to go before the national elections.

"I’m confident that we will do well. It's all in God's hands," said Sotto, running mate of presidential candidate Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson in the May 9 elections.

Sotto was in this city on Friday to attend a series of events. He said he is confident of making a good run in the vice presidential race, although he has been trailing Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in most of the surveys.

Sotto met some of the mayors in Cebu’s seventh district.

In a meeting held at the house of Dumanjug Mayor Gungun Gica, six incumbent mayors and two mayoralty candidates expressed their support for Sotto.

Cebu Seventh District’s Peter John Calderon was also present in the meeting. Sotto, Calderon and Gica are all members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Sotto said that with the elections just a few days away, he is feeling more exhausted than anxious.

“Mas pagod ang feeling (It’s more of I’m feeling exhausted,” said Sotto.

Sotto said he believed that he has a good chance even if it is Duterte who has been dominating the surveys.

“I am getting feedback from the provincial surveys different from the national surveys. The provincial surveys are showing different figures, I don’t know why,” Sotto said.

As a Cebuano, Sotto is hoping to get support from vote-rich Cebu.

Aside from getting the support of the province’s seventh district, Sotto has also secured the support of the influential Bando-Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan in Cebu City.

Sotto said he and Lacson will continue to work hard in the remaining days of the campaign. But in the end, Sotto said, it will be the people who will decide on their fate.

“The presidency, the vice presidency, it's destiny. We will do our best and we’ll leave it to the people,” said Sotto.