Sotto ‘ready’ to face rivals in upcoming debates

MANILA – Vice presidential candidate and Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday said he is more than prepared to face his rivals in upcoming debates as it will give him a better chance to lay out plans to uplift the lives of the Filipinos.

This, as Sotto will face six other candidates in the vice presidential debate to be hosted by CNN Philippines on Saturday.

Aside from Sotto, other attendees are former Rep. Walden Bello, Manny Lopez, Rizalito David, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Carlos Serapio, and Dr. Willie Ong.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and former Manila mayor Lito Atienza will not attend the event.

Sotto said debates are the best forum in which candidates can woo the voters since it will bring out the best or the worst in them.

He said the people can have a better appreciation of a candidate’s perspective once they watch the debates, as he recalled an instance when a decided voter changed his mind in their favor after watching past debates.

“Pagkatapos ng debate, may botante, sabi ng anak niya, ‘nagbago ang isip ko’, iboboto ko na si Sen. (Panfilo) Lacson’ (For example, after the debate is over, there is a voter who was told by his child, ‘I have changed my mind, I will now vote for Sen. Lacson’),” Sotto said in a statement.

Sotto said that he has been hinting as early as August last year what he and Lacson intend to do to improve the lives of Filipinos even if they have not yet formally announced their plan to join the May 9 elections.

“Sa amin kasi for ilang months na ito, August pa of 2021 sinasabi na namin mga gusto naming gawin. Kaya natutuwa ako lately narinig ko ibang kandidato sinasabi ang sinasabi namin. Na-echo nila. (This has been going on for months already. We have been telling the people what our plans are for the people as early as August 2021. That’s why I am glad that our opponents have been also saying what we have said. They are echoing our advocacies),” Sotto said.

For his part, Lacson said debates bring out the true character of a candidate, especially when abruptly asked with questions.

“Bukod sa knowledge, ang lumalabas sa debate at forum, character. Lalo ang biglaang tanong, nang pinakita ang pic ng Malacanang, una ko naisip ‘public servant’…Somebody said ‘seat of power’, another said ‘Palasyo.’ Doon makikita mo ang biglang pag-iisip, ano ang instinctive kapag nakita ang larawan (Aside from knowledge, debates and forum bring out character, especially in abrupt questions. When we were shown a picture of Malacanang, the first thing that came to my mind was ‘public servant’…Somebody said ‘seat of power’, while another said ‘Palace’. It is here that we can see the instinctive thinking of a person once you him or her a picture),” Lacson said.

On Sunday, CNN Philippines will also host a presidential debate with nine of the 10 candidates confirming their participation — Lacson, labor leader Leody de Guzman, former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, Dr. Jose Montemayor Jr., former national security adviser Norberto Gonzales, Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao, Faisal Mangondato, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, and Vice President Leni Robredo.

Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is the only presidential candidate to skip the debate, citing conflict of schedule.