Congressman Cesar M. Sotto
When Don Vicente Yap Sotto was nineteen years old, he had a relationship with a girl named Bernabela Manuel, who was from Pampanga. The sweethearts had a son by the name of Cesar, who grew up to be Representative of the then Lone Congressional District of Davao.
Cesar Sotto was congressman of the Province of Davao from 1938 to 1941. It was only on May 8, 1967 that Davao was divided into the Provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental. Cesar succeeded Romualdo Quimpo, and from then on Davao had the following Congressmen: Celestino Chaves, Alfonso G. Oboza, Juan Sarenas, Apolinario Cabigon, Ismael Veloso, Gavino and Sepulveda (most of them are of Cebuano descent).
It was Congressman Cesar M. Sotto bill in the National Assembly that made Tagum, which used to be a district called as Magugpo of Davao City, as a municipality. It was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 452 issued by President Manuel L. Quezon on June 23, 1941. It was in 1948 that Magugpo was renamed as Tagum.
Incidentally, the start of the settlement of Magugpo was pioneered by a Cebuano from Moalboal named Sulpicio Quirante who came to Davao in 1929. The Municipality of Tagum was converted into a City on January 30, 1998, coincidentally it was Senator Vicente C. Sotto III who sponsored its cityhood. Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto is the nephew of Congressman Cesar M. Sotto. The father of Senator Tito Sotto by the name of Marcelino and Cesar are brothers being sons of Don Vicente Sotto. Tagum officially became a city on March 7, 1998 through a plebiscite. Victorio R. Suaybaguio, Jr. became the first City Mayor of Tagum City.
Don Vicente Yap Sotto though did not marry the mother of Cesar, he acknowledged him as his son and supported him. Don Vicente later married Isabela Ruiz but they divorced and the former remarried this time with a girl from Dumanjug by the name of Maria Ojeda and had five children, namely: Galileo (who married Natividad Jose), Voltaire (married Josefina Benito), Tagakotta (married Paula Inumerable), Britania (married Deogracias Yanong), Marcelino (married Dr. Herminia Castelo, and are the parents of singer actors, Valmar, Vicente III (Tito), Marcelino (Maru) and Marvic (Vic), and the youngest, Suga (married Dr. Merito Yuvienco) who became a famous obstetrician and Cebu City Councilor.
Cesar Sotto was one of the leaders of the "Philippine Civic Union" organized by Don Vicente Sotto. The other leaders of the group which had a meeting at the Cebu Stadium on January 8, 1932 were Tomas Alonso and Vicente Rama.
In 1934, Cesar ran as mayor of Cebu, while his father, Don Vicente who chose to be with the Anti's ran as Senator against Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. The father and son lost in that election, Cesar defeated by Fructuoso Ramos as Mayor of Cebu on the election held on June 5, 1934.
Cesar also organized the Cebu Chapter of "Federacion Obrera de Filipinas" and they had a rally held on Labor Day in 1934 at the Plaza Washington, now what is called Freedom Park along Magallanes Street across the Order of Agustinian Recollect Church and Convent (it was only after World War II that the Colegio de San Jose Recoletos was built). Cesar invited his father, Don Vicente to be the rally's keynote speaker.
Before Cesar M. Sotto was elected congressman, he ran and won as member of the Provincial Board of Davao on the election held on December 14, 1937 (there were two board members, the other one was Ramon E. Kimpo). Cesar became the protégé of Don Filemon Yap Sotto (the elder brother of Don Vicente), who just like his brother became congressman, ConCon Delegate and senator. Don Vicente died on May 28, 1950 while his elder brother, Don Filemon died on October 10, 1966.
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