Mayor Vico: Anti-corruption champion
Countries around the world are ranked annually by Transparency International based on their perceived levels of public sector corruption known as the Corruption Perception Index (CPI). This is based on expert assessments and surveys conducted by the Berlin-based organization involving 180 countries and territories in 2020. on a scale of zero to 100, where zero means highly corrupt, the Philippines placed 115th with a score of 34. This means that our country continues to fail to address the issue of corruption, which has bogged down the Philippines since the birth of our nation.
In the 2020 CPI, the top 5 countries that were ranked the least corrupt are: Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden and Singapore. Denmark scored 88 while Singapore got 85. In the Asean, aside from Singapore, our neighbors Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, have better scores despite the fact that eliminating corruption, together with the illegal drugs menace, is a top priority of the Duterte administration. But it seems that the battle against corruption is not lost and Sen. Ping Lacson has captured it all when he said: “He’s a bright beacon of the land… At least we have a good reason not to give up hope for our beloved country.”
Senator Lacson was referring to the indefatigable Hizzoner of Pasig City, Mayor Vico Sotto, who was recently recognized by the US State Department as one of the 12 maiden recipients of its International Anti-corruption Champions Award. The prestigious award seeks to honor exceptional “individuals who have demonstrated leadership, courage and impact in preventing, exposing and combating corruption.” The distinction cited Mayor Vico “as a standard bearer for a new generation of Philippine politicians who prioritize anti-corruption and transparency initiatives in their election campaigns and in office.” Mayor Vico’s victory over a wellentrenched political dynasty in his city, which has lorded local politics for almost three decades, has electrified our election-crazy population. After assuming into office, he has undertaken measures to cleanse transactions involving his city of bribery and kickbacks. He has set up 24/7 public information hotline to receive and resolve complaints from the public. He has introduced full transparency in dealing with the public and engaged stakeholders, including the civil society, in critical functions like budgeting and policymaking. He has institutionalized public consultation as an integral component in the decision-making process. Mayor Vico, as an alderman, had introduced a freedom of information ordinance that allowed and facilitated the public and the media to obtain public documents. Newly minted US State Secretary Antony Blinken who helped conceive this award under the Biden Administration, in announcing the awards, has said: “I commend the dedication of these 12 brave leaders to these same ideals. They inspire us and so many of their counterparts pursuing these ideals around the world.”
Mayor Vico is a fresh, young voice with a novel and honest approach to governance. He’s a rarity among our politicians, a sharp departure from the “trapos’’ which breed in our political swamp. While elective public office runs in his blood and politics is in Mayor Vico’s DNA, he is not your run-of-the-mill politician. He exemplifies political courage, integrity and dedication to work. After being notified of the award, Mayor Vico reacted by stating: “If we want better long-term governance, we need to fight corruption. We should denormalize it, get it out of our culture.” What a firm resolve from a political neophyte who just joined politics five years ago by winning a seat at the City council of Pasig City in 2016 at the age of 27. In the last election, he trounced the incumbent mayor who belonged to the powerful Eusebio clan in the city, which has not tasted any electoral loss in all its years in Pasig politics. However, Mayor Vico’s political pedigree cannot be taken lightly even by political heavyweights. His forebears included two former distinguished senators, Don Filemon Sotto and Don Vicente Sotto, both known for their fierce and militant opposition to the American rule in the Philippines. Don Vicente suffered persecution and imprisonment and even went on exile and became a political refugee in Hong Kong for demanding immediate and complete independence from the US. The incumbent Senate President, Tito Sotto, is his uncle as everyone knows. This is not to mention that his parents are both bywords in the movie and entertainment world—vic Sotto and Coney Reyes. The respected erstwhile couple commands legions of loyal following, which has boosted Mayor Vico’s mass support. But Mayor Vico is one who will not depend on the cult of personality, and win votes by basking on the reflected glory of Vic and Coney. By running as an independent candidate when he first sought elective public office, and later joining a small, ragtag political party, the Aksyon Demokratiko, when he ran for mayor, Mayor Vico betrayed his streak of independence. By challenging the political gods in his city, Mayor Vico has shown political courage, which is very much in short supply in Philippine politics. Mayor Vico is only 31 years old. He has a bright political future which is still ahead of him. His political odyssey has just begun and who knows what lies in store ahead. The US State Department did not err in installing him as our anti-corruption champion. No one can underestimate the critical importance of eradicating corruption in the economic life of our country. There is a higher correlation between a higher CPI (least corrupt) and higher economic growth. It has also been observed that there is a higher rate of foreign investments in countries with favorable CPI.
For as long as Mayor Vico remains true to his vision and continues to champion anti-corruption initiatives in his home city and hopefully around the country, the Filipino people will not be wrong to entrust him with a higher and more responsible elective position in our government. Mabuhay and congratulations, Mayor Vico.