Senate President Tito Sotto during his consultative meeting with various sectors in Central Visayas held at Shangrila Mactan, Lapu Lapu City, Province of Cebu Friday morning. The vice presidential candidate also visited Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and former Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña.
Sotto family caught by surprise over Kiko’s VP bid
LAPU LAPU CITY, Cebu – As Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan filed his certificate of candidacy for the vice presidential post in 2022, there are talks that the family of Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto, especially Ms. Helen Gamboa-Sotto, was upset or disheartened.
Sotto, in an ambush interview during the consultative meeting here, said their family was surprised with Pangilinan’s decision.
“Surprised. Nagtataka, you better ask them. Mas mabuting sila ang tanungin mo,” Sotto said when asked if the family was upset with Kiko’s move.
The Senate President, meanwhile, refused to further comment on Pangilinan’s candidacy saying that he and Senator Panfilo Lacson agreed not to react on other candidates and just focus their attention to their platforms.
Sharon Cuneta, Pangilinan’s wife, is very close with Gamboa-Sotto whom she treated as her 2nd child.
Meanwhile, Sotto also confirmed that actress Kris Aquino begged off from an offer for her to run as vice president in respect to Helen.
“Tumawag din sa akin si Frank (Minority Leader Franklin Drilon). Sabi n’ya di n’ya rin tinanggap maging VP (Leni Robredo) and he said tatawag si Kiko,” said Sotto.
As expected, Pangilinan called Sotto and told him about the Leni-Kiko ticket.
The Senate President just wished Pangilinan and Sharon best of luck for the coming elections.
“Ang eleksyon isang araw lang ‘yan kaya nga we don’t even bother to think about it,” Sotto said, stressing that it is better to directly ask Helen for her reaction on Pangilinan’s move.
Just recently, Senator Grace Poe begged off to be Isko Moreno’s running-mate as a courtesy to Sotto, who was a very good friend of the late Fernando Poe Jr.
