My Dad's Accident - 11/06/08

My dad, Gil M. Sotto, has almost gotten killed by 3 drunk-am the king of the world-self claimed men. Last 6th of November, my dad went to his farm. Upon arrival he saw that his plants (rice and vegetables) were ravaged by animals, which made him asked the wife of his tenant. The woman said, 'there was a black cow there a while ago'. My dad scolded her considering the fact that they were hired to look over the land most especially the plants. This incident, which we guessed made the wife tell her husband of her grievances against my dad and the husband in turn, went drinking with his buddies who in the first place were the owner of the animals which have been ransacking my dad's farm, meaning these 3 purported friends of our so-called tenant are already having resentments against my dad because I believe they don't want my father always advising them not to make his farm a pastureland for their animals.

While drinking they've planned of harming if not killing my dad. And at around 4 in the afternoon of the same day as my father approaches the group, because the house of these 3 is just along the way of going in and out of the farm, they've stopped my dad. Sensing that he's in danger my dad ran to the field heading towards his other tenants nevertheless, he was caught and was started beaten up by these 3 people (No, animals i must say). The first man strangled my dad and the other hit him on the head and face with a rock. And the 3rd man, who's supposedly the head of this premeditated murder, has drawn my father's bolo and supposed to stab by it if not seen and stopped by another relative of these 3 men. And as people start to piles up, the other tenants heard of the noises and saw the gathering of people, they ran and saw my father whom they couldn't almost even identify because of blood that almost covered his face so as with a swollen face as a result of the rock-hit. AS these 3 men saw my father's tenants approach they've admonished them that if they don't want to die they better not involve themselves. One of them, whom is already a part of the family since he has been with us for more than 20 years, said 'no, am not gonna fight with you I just want to rescue 'kuya'". Helped by another tenant, they've been able to brought my dad to home, on which upon arrival, my mom almost collapsed because of what she saw. They ran my dad to the hospital. Later, the tenant (Judas Escariot) came along crying and asking for forgiveness to my father saying he was drinking with them when the premeditation was made. Huh!

My dad, despite poverty and hardship to raise and educate 5 children, never wavers to shower us love, respect, and instill in us fear of God. He was the father who never stopped believing he can make us all finish our education even if it means he has to work double, triple time. No one stopped schooling amongst us. No one.

My dad, despite his age (he's 60) and fragility, even if his children are all degree holders never stops working, nurturing the lands he has acquired with hard work and diligence. He is also the person who always stands up for the farmers' rights against abusive government agrarian officials. He is a lay minister in the church, always ready to extend his hands to everyone who asks help from him. Some of the organizations he's affiliated with cannot even start any project and cannot make any decisions without my father. Honestly speaking, this incident could not have happened if my dad wasn't thinking of his responsibilities to the people and to the community at large. He is not a politician but a philanthropist on his own right. He was here in Manila last weekend, visiting his parents' grave. He went home last Monday in spite of our protestation just to attend a meeting about giving a loan to farmers who cannot afford to till their lands because of high prices of fertilizers and pesticides necessary to grow grains and other plants.

My father's aggressors, Dennis Agcaoili, Celo and Erwin Rumbaoa, have no right to harm my father.

Arrogant as it may sound but they've touched the wrong person. My dad is the most protected person amongst the Sotto family. If he got sick everybody is in a commotion, everyone's in tears. Now, they've harmed him. They've even almost killed him. The Sotto's will never let this pass. Never let them go. Never let them have peace of mind until they've felt the same pain they've inflicted my father. They've never seen the Sottos got mad, now they'll see what we can do to people like them. Yes, the judgement and comdemnation don't rest upon us but definitely we'll never, never keep quiet and we'll use every legal actions to have justice achieve.

You cannot imagine what the family is going through now. The pain of my dad, his agony of being hit and choked by stronger and younger men than him, him almost got stabbed by a bolo... it's a nightmare to all of us. It's haunting and taunting us. No, we'll never let this go easy for them.

People of Sta.Ana especially these people who have the guts to touch my dad never knew who our family really are and what we are capable of doing. But though we have the resources now to have their feet on the ground what we are most proud of is we know who we have on our side. God.