SEN. TITO SOTTO is now on his fourth term in the senate and he’s running as vice president in the coming elections.
He had a “kumustahan” with the entertainment press last Thursday and he just celebrated his 52nd wedding anniversary with Helen Gamboa the day before.
“Yes, 52 years nang nagtitiis si Helen sa akin,” he jokes. “September 22 is mismong araw nang tinanan ko siya at ikinasal kami.
"Our plan then was susunduin ko lang siya pag tulog na lahat ng kasama niya sa bahay, then we’d go to Sto. Tomas, Batangas, kasi may kausap akong judge doon. Sabi ko sa kanya, pakakasal lang tayo then uuwi rin kita agad sa bahay nyo bago sila magising.
"So ayun, sinundo ko siya, di niya mabuksan ang gate nila, so tumalon siya sa bakod. Mga aso nila, ni hindi tumahol. Kasama namin ang brother ko, si Val. But when we got there, wala pala yung judge. Madaling araw na yun ng Sept. 22, 1969.
"We went to the home of my friend, Gary Torres, at kinatok namin yung pari nila. Nakisama naman, dinala kami sa loob ng simbahan tapos ikinasal na kami. Pero hindi ko na siya maibalik sa bahay nila kasi umaga na.
"Hinahanap na siya ng family niya. Galit na galit sila. We were married twice. The other one was yung big wedding namin on January 2, 1971.”
What’s the secret of their long lasting marriage?
“First of all, Christ centered kami. Also, we practice give and take, pero ang totoo, mas lamang ako sa paggi-give. Kasi for me, I put my wife on a pedestal. Kahit akong nasa lugar, ako pa rin ang nagso-sorry sa kanya. Machonurin.
"Also, lagi kaming nagbibiruan. Hindi nawawala yung humor. Sabi ko nga sa mga anak namin, ang mommy nyo kasi, in love na in love pa rin sa akin. But most of all, blessing ni Lord yan na magkasama pa rin kami.”
So how is Helen now?
“She’s okay. As of now, hindi siya lumalabas ng bahay. Ingat na ingat siya. May offer noon ang GMA for a soap but her doctor advised her not to accept any strenuous activity.
"Ngayong puede na siya, may offer na uli, but ayaw niya nung lockdown na isang buwan nandun kayo sa location. She asked me about it at ayoko rin.”
It’s said Sen. Grace Poe was supposed to be the VP of Isko Moreno but she declined.
“Yes, I knew Sen. Grace won’t run kasi nag-uusap naman kami. Originally, si Sen. Ping Lacson, he said na kami ni Grace ang dapat na kumandidato, para maiba ang takbo ng gobierno.
"But si Grace, she said, kayong dalawa ang tumakbo with your wide experience sa legislative department na madadala ninyo sa executive.
"So it’s Grace who gave us the idea na kami ang tumakbo. Alam ko ring si Sen. Pacquiao asked Grace to be his VP but also said no.
"Then she told me nga that Isko was getting her but she said no. Sabi niya, masyadong close ang families namin at ayaw niyang kami ang maging magkatapat.”
So was it easy for him to decide to run with Sen. Ping?
“Before we decided, matagal muna naming pinag-isipan at pinag-aralan. Ipinagdasal namin yan. We studied lahat ng problems ng bansa at tiningnan namin kung may isasagot kami sa bawat isa.
"Binalangkas namin ang aming magiging programa. Last chance na namin ito kasi malapit na kaming maging otsenta anyos.
"When we made sure na kaya nga naming lutasin ang mga problema ng bansa, di na kami umatras, Sabi niya, patay kung patay na ito.”
