WHEN Sen. Tito Sotto, whose prominent ascendants came from Cebu, assumed office as Senate president last May 21, he was relieved that:
[] Ten days earlier, May 11, Ma. Lourdes Sereno was expelled by the Supreme Court as its chief justice; and
[] There was no more need for him to preside over an impeachment trial; the House had declared as moot an impeachment complaint against Sereno after her removal by the controversial quo warranto.
Then comes the Constituent Assembly to draft the new constitution, in which the Senate has:
[] To tangle with the House on the powers of each body in revising the Constitution: since Congress is a bicameral body, would each senator get only one vote, and similar tough issues.
[] To lead a divided Senate and at the same time sell the administration backed federalism system to his colleagues ("each senator is a republic").
Tough and tricky jobs, which would require expertise in law and legislative procedure as well as skills of a leader and tactician. Would Senate President Tito survive all that? As a City Hall wag would put it, "Let us to see," emphasis on "to see."
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'Wambol University'
Sotto's proposal in June 2014 for a "hybrid" constitutional commission (with 12 representatives each from the Senate, the House, president's appointees, and civil sector) was shot down as "weird," even from, said one critic, a "graduate of Wambol University," referencing the fictitious school in Sotto's past TV program "Iskul Bukol."
And he's not known for disputing unpopular and complex proposals from the House. Recently, he said the plan to postpone elections is possible, only to back-track and say they could change the date of elections but could not extend the term of office of elected officials.
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Cebu roots, not kin's talent
The Senate president's talent leans more heavily on his showman's background. How did he win the Senate elections and top in the count? "Working hard," he said, "being seen and heard on TV."
He never claimed he is as mentally adept as his grandfather Vicente Sotto (1877-1950) and his uncle Filemon Sotto (1872-1966), both lawyers and writers. But Tito also became a senator, via the entertainment business.
His ties to Cebu are mostly by blood. He did not grow and was not educated in Cebu. He had never served Cebu. His early stint in politics was as vice mayor of Quezon City. The TV exposure (Eat Bulaga and the AlDub phenomenon) did the rest for him.
The charge of plagiarizing some Senate speeches and his alleged involvement (as protector or coddler of the suspects) in the Pepsi Paloma rape scandal -- which he vigorously disputed -- tainted his achievements in the Senate. But the few black marks have failed to stop his political ascent.
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