Vico Sotto, son of Vic Sotto and Connie Reyes was seen in one episode of Kalyeserye and was introduced by Lola Tinidora played by Jose Manalo to Yaya Dub. Vico Sotto later tweeted:
"Nahiya ako kay Yaya Dub masyado kasing maganda. Hehe."
Nahiya ako kay Yaya Dub masyado kasing maganda. Hehe. #ALDUBNewBeginnings
— Vico Sotto (@VicoSotto) October 26, 2015Earlier, Vico Sotto filed candidacy for Councilor of 1st District of Pasig City. Vico the reasons why he was running for the position and is hopeful that Pasig will give him the chance to serve the city
Yesterday, I filed my Certificate of Candidacy for the position of City Councilor of the First District of Pasig, just 2 hours before the deadline.
I suppose that it is now apt for me to answer the question of “why”.
My stint as the chief of staff of a city councilor in Quezon City has been the biggest learning experience of my life thus far. I learned about things important and trivial; practical and absurd; open and confidential. But as thankful as I am for that opportunity, and without delving into specifics, my job was one of daily frustration. I discovered that many graft and corrupt practices have been so deeply institutionalized that many openly participate without even realizing that their acts are both unethical and illegal.
I started working there in July 2013 and I resigned effective January 2015, because I felt like there was nothing left for me to contribute. I guess one can only do so much as an appointive/coterminous government official. I felt like it wasn’t really a position from which I could effect change.
DESPITE my frustrating and dispiriting experience in government, however, I left the job with more optimism about government and politics than I have ever had before.
Though the picture that we often paint is that of a grim, corrupt, and hopeless government, this is simply not the entirety of the situation. There are many exciting developments in our government today. For instance, working with the QC Council's Committee on People’s Participation, I realized the tremendous potential of various mechanisms of participatory governance (Bottom-Up Budgeting, the City Development Council, the various sectoral boards, etc).
The belief that we are progressing as a nation- that we are “getting there”, so to speak- was strengthened when I started working for the Ateneo School of Government’s programs Government Watch (G-Watch) and Political Democracy and Reforms (PODER) in August. G-Watch is around 15 years old and the veterans there often recount how in the earlier years, government agencies were very resistant in forming partnerships with them- perhaps they were more fearful of increased transparency and accountability. Now, government offices seem to be more responsive and cooperative, generally speaking. This is just one among many signs that we are improving.
This is not to say, of course, that all is well and good. There will always be political and economic elites who wish to consolidate power and deter good governance. Patronage politics is definitely a sea that can drown anyone trying to make a difference.
Using Jim Collins’ analogy of a hundred-foot giant wheel, pushing for change will at first be difficult, almost impossible. But when enough people push, the force exerted will eventually cause the wheel to budge. Then, it will start to move, ever so slowly. And if the people don’t stop pushing, and perhaps their number increases, and they learn how to push better, the wheel moves faster and faster. Eventually, the wheel will have enough momentum, and movement will be practically unstoppable.
For us Filipinos, the wheel is starting to move! And it is precisely for this reason that I hope all of us have the sense of urgency and the desire to contribute to positive change in this country.
As for me, I believe that in this season of my life, I can contribute the most to our country through public service. My goal is to contribute as much as I can toward making the institutions of our city more inclusive- that is, more transparent, more accountable, and more participatory.
I hope that the people of Pasig will give me a chance to serve.
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