HONEST WORK | US State Department honors Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto as an ‘anti-corruption champion’

February 24, 2021 , 05:05 PM

(February 24, 2021) – The US State Department has given a young city executive in the capital a rare honor as among the world’s anti-corruption champions, recognizing the first-term mayor’s reforms on governance.

Antony Blinken bestowed the inaugural International Anti-Corruption Champions award to Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, a nephew of the head of the Philippine Senate. Sotto was elected mayor in 2019 after serving for one term as city councilor.

“Victor Sotto, Mayor of Pasig, The Philippines, is a standard-bearer for a new generation of Philippine politicians who prioritize anti-corruption and transparency initiatives in their election campaigns and in office,” said the US Department of State in a statement.

The Biden administration introduced the award to recognize individuals who have worked to defend transparency, combat corruption and ensure accountability in their own countries.

“Sotto’s prior work on the city council resulted in freedom of information legislation that allowed city residents to request documents without having to provide a justification – the first such law in the Metro Manila area,” said the US Department of State.

“Sotto has sought to solidify his reputation as a fresh voice with a new, more transparent approach to governance. He pledged to avoid any kickbacks in the awarding of city contracts, established a 24/7 public information and complaints hotline, formally involved civil society organizations in the city’s budgeting and policy making, and mandated that the value of all city government contracts be reduced by at least 10 percent – a measure intended to reduce bribery in the contract awarding process,” it added.

Sotto is the only Southeast Asian leader to receive the recognition. It is a rare feat as the Philippines ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world based on Transparency International and other bodies.

President Rodrigo Duterte won in 2016 on a platform of fighting crime, illegal drugs and corruption, but he has failed to eradicate the problem after almost five years in office. In fact, the level of corruption has worsened.

Blinken, who commended 11 other anti-corruption champions from other countries, said they have inspired the US government and their counterparts in pursuing their commitment to truth, transparency and accountability.

Senator Panfilo Lacson lauded the inclusion of the young Pasig mayor in the US State Department’s list of anti-corruption leaders.

“The bright beacon of the land,’ said Lacson in a post on Twitter, referring to Sotto.

“At least we have good reason not to give up hoping for our beloved country. As one very successful businessman recently told me – for the longest time, our country is like a boat full of holes that doesn’t sink only because we keep bailing the water out. Nobody has thought of bringing it to a dry dock for repairs,” said Lacson.

Sotto unseated in 2019 a political family who ruled in Pasig for nearly three decades.

(Kiko Demigillo/MM)

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