Cebu City celebrates 145th birthday of Don Vicente Sotto

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III attended the 145th birth anniversary of his grandfather and namesake, the late senator Vicente Sotto, in Cebu City yesterday.

“Senator Vicente Yap Sotto, who's life and feats were unparalleled and being his namesake, is both an honor for me and a big responsibility to fill...Filling in his big shoes has never been my goal but not tarnishing his excellent reputation is,” Sotto said.

He said that even with his busy schedule in the Senate and not to mention the campaign sorties as he is also running for the country’s next vice president, he took time out to attend such an important event here.

“I will not miss it even for a very important hearing in the Senate we are having now, it's the continuation of the hearing of e-sabong,” said Sotto as he paid tribute to someone who made big contributions to shaping the rich history not only in Cebu but the entire nation.

Sotto said his grandfather’s legacy and aspiration had been his guiding light.

“Senator Vicente Yap Sotto lived in an era where (the) sting of words was more fearsome than bullets and violence. His prowess as a journalist earns him the title of the Father of Cebuano journalism…His boldness in writing news and commentaries placed him at great risk of being labeled as an oppositionist…Still, it did not stop him from upholding the people’s rights, rights to be informed of the issues affecting their midst,” Sotto narrated.

As a legislator, the late Don Vicente Sotto was the first to recognize the importance of the free press in a democratic society.

“Republic Act No. 53 emanated from Senator Sotto as Senate Bill No. 6 in 1946, ganun kaaga…A law of transcendental importance and has been relevant for so many generations. This landmark piece of legislation allows journalists to write and report freely without fear of being forced to divulge their sources… indeed his statesmanship made him a trail blazer,” added Sen. Sotto.

To continue the Sotto law legacy and to keep up with the times, Sotto authored Republic Act 11458 which expanded the law’s coverage including broadcast and electronic mass media.

To expound more of the late Don Vicente Sotto’s legacy, the city’s Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission also included a lecture series yesterday with the commission’s chairman, Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros, saying it is important to value truth and combat the spread of disinformation.

Meanwhile, Senator Sotto, in a quick interview with the local media, said he continues to find ways to save the SIM card registration bill after being vetoed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

President Duterte accordingly vetoed the measure because of the inclusion of social media providers in the registration which was not part of the original version of the bill and needed a more thorough study. Sotto said it was not also included in his original bill.

“I’m trying to find a way to save the bill…because the important thing about the bill is pre-paid sim card registration are very vital to be able to stop the bombings, the blackmail, scams using prepaid sim cards,” said Sotto.

Sotto said the Philippines is one of the few countries in the world left that does not mandate the registration of pre-paid SIM cards.

Sotto said he would call Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to save the bill by overturning it through the votes by both Houses of Congress while saying that the Executive Branch may question the unwanted provisions on social media before the Supreme Court.

“I will tell him that the way to go about this is that the Houses of Congress overturn the veto of the President, and then the provisions that he dislikes can be questioned in the Supreme Court. And we can ask the SC to declare (it) unconstitutional. But then again the prepaid SIM cards registration must be registered already. Because the part of the law that will become law, minus the provisions that the President does not want,” he said.

Overturning Duterte’s veto can be done on May 23 but the measure can be refiled in the next Congress.— Caecent No-ot Magsumbol with Decemay P. Padilla and Rowena D. Capistrano/GMR