Actress Coney Reyes said she was "very proud" of her son, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, after the U.S. State Department named him an anticorruption champion.
Reyes said she hoped Sotto's achievements as a young mayor would inspire people to demand for good governance.
"I'm very grateful to the Lord for what He has been doing to him and through him. He's very grateful for this honor and I'm just happy that his efforts are being recognized. But he’s not after that," Reyes told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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There's still more for Sotto to do, she said. "What he hopes to do is make people aware of what's happening around. Let's help eradicate or denormalize corruption because it seems to have become normal in our culture. I know that that's his heart's prayer."
Sotto, who ended the nearly three-decade rule of the Eusebio family in Pasig City in 2019, has been actively going against trapo politics. Schools, lamp posts, and projects are free of his name, and he has been very vocal about his push for transparency in governance.
He also rejected the idea that constiuents owed leaders for anything, as it is the people's money that pays for city improvements and subsidized tuition for scholars.
Reyes hoped her son's efforts would inspire others, especially the youth, to be unafraid in taking a stand. "If we do this collectively...it will amount to something for our country. It's possible and we can do it together," she said.
She also acknowledged the people by Sotto's side who help get things done.
"He knows he can't do everything alone. No one can. My son has a great team and I’m grateful to the Lord for that," she said. "That's why I always emphasize unity. If there are concerted, collaborative efforts, blessings will follow."
