NBI summons Vico Sotto, Tito Sotto reacts
Senate President Tito Sotto reacted to the summon that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) sent to Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.
On Wednesday, NBI sent a letter to Vico inviting him to the agency’s office to explain his alleged violation of the quarantine protocol. Referring to the Republic Act 11469, or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, NBI Spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin stated to CNN Philippines that the Pasig City Mayor has to respond to the allegation against him.
Lavin also said that if the young mayor fails to appear before their office then, they will proceed to the investigation. However, Vico Sotto defended that he just pleaded to allow continuous tricycle operation but when the government did not allow that, he immediately complied.
The mayor also reiterated that the act was just passed on March 24 which is days after he complied with the national government’s decision. In line with this, Senator Tito Sotto defended his nephew.
He said, through his Twitter post, that “Laws are never retroactive if detrimental to any accused. What are they talking about?”
“NBI will be well advised to be cautious in their interpretation of the law I principally authored. Any [so-called] violation of RA 11469 can’t be retroactive!” the Senator added in his Twitter post.
On April 1, netizens aired their predicaments on Twitter regarding this issue. #ProtectVico became a top Twitter trend for several hours when this news broke. Apparently, not just ordinary netizens took part in this call but also politicians and celebrities in the Philippines.
Following that, NBI also stated that it summoned Senator Koko Pimentel who also “violated the quarantine protocol”.
What can you say about this?
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In times like this we should unite and not convict a person who is thinking whats good for his Constituents.
Not for a minute am I worried for Mayor Vico. What worries me is the competence and even sanity of the NBI as an institution. Since I m sure neither Pres. Duterte, nor DOJ Sec. Guevarra nor the IATF ordered the action, who did? The only possibility left is that the NBI Director allowed himself to be used as a tool in local Pasig politics. He’d better have damn good explanation.