Senators say Sotto deserves 'very good' rating

It came as no surprise to some senators to learn of the "very good" net satisfaction rating sustained by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, nearly five months since he became the third highest government official.

Senators JV Ejercito and Win Gatchalian attested to the assiduousness of their party mate in the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) and leadership skills, given his long track record in the legislature.

"Under Senate President Sotto's leadership, the Senate has been at its most productive period in my experience. We were able to accomplish a lot not to mention pass vital bills on third reading," Ejercito, one of the newest member of NPC, said.

Ejercito said the partnership of Sotto with Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri has proven to be effective as it obviously produced results and the public obviously took note of it.

"That is why the people gave the Senate a very high trust rating," he said.

Gatchalian, also a party mate of Sotto said that latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey is a reflection of the efficient output that the upper chamber has been producing under the latter's leadership.

"Kaya naman natutuwa ako na majority ng ating mga kababayan ay satisfied sa trabahong ginagawa niya. We, his partymates in NPC and his colleagues at the Senate, remain strongly committed to supporting SP Sotto's legislative agenda," he said.

Sen. Nancy Binay, who has been closely aligned with Sotto since the latter was still minority leader during the 16th Congress, said the upper chamber leader has contributed much as far as the Senate's legislative priorities are concerned, being the most senior and most experienced among them.

"We have to credit (the) Senate President's unique style of leadership," she said.

"Matagal ko ng kasama si Tito Sen mula noong nasa Minority pa kami and I'm happy that the people appreciate the Senate president's performance and hard work. I'm happy because he is one of my mentors ever since I started at the Senate in 2013," she said.

Former Sen. Manuel "Lito" Lapid who took his oath as NPC member before the Senate president only last Oct. 4, likewise expressed elation over this development.

"Syempre masaya ako at kasama siya ng mga mamayan na nakikita ang husay ni Sen. Sotto bilang lider ng Senado," he said.

Reports on the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey showed that Sotto continue to enjoy a "very good" net satisfaction rating and even earned a one-point increase in the third quarter of the year, from +54 last June to +55 satisfaction rating in September.

The public-opinion polling body said that of the Filipinos surveyed between Sept. 15 to 23, 68 percent were satisfied with Sotto's performance while 13 percent were dissatisfied.

In the SWS survey conducted last June, 67 percent of Filipinos approved of Sotto's performance and only 12 percent were dissatisfied.