MANILA, Philippines -- Sen. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III remains unfazed
amid the barrage of criticisms hurled at him over his part in the
controversial anti-cybercrime law, his daughter said.
"My dad, may prinsipyo 'yan, kaya pinaglalaban niya talaga 'yung
pinaniniwalaan niya. And I admire him for that, kasi he doesn't care
kung ano ang itapon sa kanya," Ciara, the senator's daughter, said in an
interview with ABS-CBN News' Marie Lozano on Wednesday.
In recent days, the senator was the target of criticisms from
netizens for having inserted the online libel clause in the
controversial Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Senate records credit Sen. Sotto as behind the said provision, which
may send an erring Internet user to prison for up to 17 years.
Early this week, the lawmaker admitted he proposed the inclusion of
the online libel clause, but denied it was a last minute insertion.
He also said the proposal was not in retaliation to the alleged
cyberbullying he received after his turno en contra speeches against the
Reproductive Health bill in August.
"'Huwag niyo nang pansinin, masanay na kayo.' He doesn't care, ang galing ng dad ko. Hindi talaga siya naaapektuhan, patawa-tawa pa siya," Ciara said.
"[Pero] kami ang naaapektuhan kasi anak kami," she added. "When it comes to my family naa-affect talaga ako, pero now, natutunan ko na na dedmahin ko talaga, and not just mind them. Block lang nang block."
Herself having become the target of criticisms for coming to the defense of her father, Ciara said she is now used to coming across "haters" on the Internet.
"Nasanay narin naman ako na ganyan, kasi you really can't please anybody and I accept that," she said.
"I won't stop just to please them. And I wont stop naman para mainis sila. I'll just say what I feel, and I know naman the truth, and it doesn't really bother me anymore," she added.
