The Honorable
Francis Tolentino
Senator of the Philippines
Assumed office
June 30, 2019
Chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee
Assumed office
July 25, 2022
Preceded byRichard Gordon
Chair of the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee
Assumed office
July 25, 2022
Preceded byRichard Gordon
Chair of the Senate Local Government Committee
In office
July 22, 2019 – June 30, 2022
Preceded bySonny Angara
Succeeded byJV Ejercito
Chair of the Senate Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement Committee
In office
July 22, 2019 – June 30, 2022
Preceded byJV Ejercito
Succeeded byJV Ejercito
Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs
In office
July 11, 2017 – October 17, 2018
PresidentRodrigo Duterte
Preceded byRonald Llamas
Succeeded byJacinto Paras
6th Chairperson of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
In office
July 27, 2010 – October 7, 2015
PresidentBenigno Aquino III
Preceded byOscar Inocentes
Succeeded byEmerson Carlos
Mayor of Tagaytay
In office
June 30, 1995 – June 30, 2004
Preceded byBenjamin Erni
Succeeded byAbraham Tolentino
In office
1986–1987
Officer-in-charge
Appointed byCorazon Aquino
Personal details
Born
Francis N. Tolentino[1]

(1960-01-03) January 3, 1960
Guinobatan, Albay, Philippines
Political partyPDP–Laban (2016–present)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (before 2016)
RelationsAbraham Tolentino (brother)
Children3
Alma materAteneo de Manila University (BA, LL.B)
National Defense College of the Philippines
University of Michigan (LL.M)
University of London (LL.M)
Columbia University (LL.M)
OccupationPolitician, environmentalist
ProfessionLawyer
WebsiteOfficial website
NicknameTol
Military service
Allegiance Philippines
Branch/servicePhilippine Army
Rank Brigadier General

Francis Ng Tolentino (Tagalog pronunciation: [nɐŋ tolɛnˈtino]) is a Filipino politician and lawyer serving as a Senator since 2019.

Career

Tolentino served as Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) from 2010 to 2015 and was the Mayor of Tagaytay from 1995 to 2004. For the 19th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines, he is currently the Chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He is currently the Senate Representative in the Judicial and Bar Council and is also one of the Senate Representatives in the Commission on Appointments. During the 18th Congress, Tolentino chaired the Senate Committee on Local Government and the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement. As a lawyer with multiple degrees, he supports prioritizing education for all and making justice accessible through the Philippine Legal Justice Center, which he founded. As a Brigadier General of the Philippine Army (Res), he pushes for making the armed forces of the Philippines stronger.[2][3] As a lawyer with a masters in international law, he pushes for equal standing for the Philippines in the international community.[4][5][6] He is also an advocate of protecting the Philippines' territorial integrity through legislation passed in the 18th and 19th Congress.[7] Tolentino established the Philippine Legal Justice Center (PLJC) in Manila, providing free legal services to indigent litigants especially OFWs, and tribal communities. Early 2022, Tolentino was one of the legislators who pushed for the stoppage of the unregulated online sabong or e-sabong, which caused the destruction of families, loss of lives, and disappearances of sabungeros in the Philippines in 2021 and 2022.[8][9][10]

Personal life

Tolentino was born in Albay, and grew up in Tagaytay, where he lives.[11] He is the first son of Atty. Isaac O. Tolentino, who was the longest-serving mayor of Tagaytay City.

Tolentino is known to be a vintage car aficionado and a sports fan, both international and local. He is currently the President of the Samahan ng Kickboxing ng Pilipinas, the national governing body for the sport of kickboxing in the Philippines.

Education

Tolentino had his primary education in Lourdes School of Mandaluyong. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Ateneo de Manila University Law School.

Tolentino obtained three Master of Laws degrees, one from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor (USA) where he concentrated on constitutional law, and another from the University of London in England specializing in public international law where he graduated Second Honors (with merit) with Her Royal Highness Princess Anne giving him the award. He obtained his third (3rd) Master of Laws degree (LLM) from the Ivy League Columbia Law School (New York City), where he displayed "superior academic achievement".

He passed the New York State Bar Exams as well as the Philippine Bar Exams in 1984 where he obtained a general average of 86.25%.[11][12]

He graduated Master on National Security Administration at the National Defense College of the Philippines where he ranked 6th out of 55 graduates.

Political career

Mayor of Tagaytay City

Tolentino was first appointed to the post of OIC Mayor of Tagaytay from 1986 to 1987. He ran unopposed in the 1995 general election for Mayor of Tagaytay and was re-elected by his constituents for 3 consecutive terms as Mayor from 1995 to 2004.[13] As Mayor, he advocated a City Character Program, espousing values formation among his constituents.

Under his administration, he created the Tagaytay Office of Public Safety, which later became the basis of policies he put into force as chair of the MMDA. He also initialized the Character First programs which encourages governments, government leaders, civic organizations and religious organizations to band together to establish a "city" or "community" of character with character traits of a Filipino every month.

Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino

On July 27, 2010, Tolentino was appointed the ninth chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). He is the first and only non-resident of Metro Manila to be appointed to the post.

In August 2013, Tolentino, as MMDA chairman, launched the first Metro Manila Integrated Bus Terminal known as the Southwest Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal (SWIPTT).[14]

On September 19, 2013, Tolentino signed the Metro Manila Outdoor Media Magna Carta along with various advertising groups, setting the terms for regulating outdoor advertisements in Metro Manila. Among the terms in the 15-page agreement were a 216-square meter limitation on all outdoor signs and structures, with 30 percent of the space of ground level ads allotted "for landscape works or vertical gardens". Prior to the signing of the document, no limit had been placed on the size of advertisements, such that a number of billboards as big as 1,000 square meters had been allowed. The document provided a nine-month grace period for advertisers to be able to comply.[15]

To address the traffic situation in Metro Manila and to offer transportation alternative to the public, Tolentino relaunched the Pasig River Ferry System last April 2014, in coordination with the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission and the Department of Transportation and Communications.[16][17]

As an environmentalist, one of his advocacies is environmental protection. His plans include creating alternative energy resources that would be beneficial for both the people and the environment. Another advocacy that he is focusing on is the disaster calamity fund. He understands that Mother Nature is unpredictable and it is better to brace for the worst.[18]

As chair of the MMDA, Tolentino was also designated by Metro Manila Commission Executive Order No. 86-09 as chair of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival,[19] in which capacity Tolentino introduced a number of changes, including the introduction of new contest categories[20] and the removal of box office receipts from the criteria for the selection of best picture starting from the 2010 edition.[21]

Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs

In June 2017, Tolentino was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte as his political adviser from 2017 to 2018.[22] He became the former President's main troubleshooter during crises, disasters, and emergencies.

Senator

Senator Francis Tolentino

Tolentino ran for senator in the 2016 Philippine Senate election, however, he was defeated after placing 13th.[23]

Tolentino ran again for senator in the 2019 Philippine Senate election. Endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte, he is under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago and the informal Kilusang Pagbabago coalitions.[24]

Tolentino successfully secured the 9th place in the 2019 elections and is serving as a Senator of the Philippines until 2025.[25]

18th Congress

During the 18th Congress, Tolentino chaired the Senate Committee on Local Government and the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement.

During his stint as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, Tolentino was a welcomed partner by the Bangsamoros in the transition of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.[26]

19th Congress

Tolentino currently serves as the Chairman of the prestigious Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He currently sits as the Senate Representative to the Judicial and Bar Council and is also one of the Senate Representatives in the Commission on Appointments.

He is currently the Vice-Chairman in the following Senate Committees: Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, Foreign Relations, National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, and Public Services.

Tolentino also sits as a member in the following Senate Committees: Basic Education, Cooperatives, Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs, Electoral Reforms and People's Participation, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, Finance, Games and Amusement, Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, Local Government, Migrant Workers, Public Works, Sports, Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, and Ways and Means.

Filmography

  • Because I Love You (2019), as Secretary Francis Tolentino

References

  1. ↑ "Certified List of Candidates" (PDF). Commission on Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Stronger with the Philippine Navy". Manila Bulletin. 2022-08-12. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  3. ↑ "ROTC revival". Manila Bulletin. 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  4. ↑ "RCEP and arbitration". Manila Bulletin. 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  5. ↑ "Arbitration is the way to settle". Manila Bulletin. 2022-08-04. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  6. ↑ "Japan, a friend closer than a brother". Manila Bulletin. 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  7. ↑ "Diplomatic protests – who, what, why". Manila Bulletin. 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  8. ↑ Press Release (February 24, 2022). "Tolentino questions PAGCOR's authority to regulate e-sabong license". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ Newsbytes.PH (2022-02-24). "Alarmed at disappearance of 31 persons, senators call for suspension of e-sabong". Newsbytes.PH. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  10. ↑ Ramos, Christia Marie (2022-05-03). "With end to e-sabong, senators expect full swing probe into missing 'sabungeros'". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  11. 1 2 "Senator Francis N. Tolentino". Senate of the Philippines. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Atty. Francis N. Tolentino". Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  13. ↑ Santos, Alex (July 27, 2010). "Former Tagaytay Mayor is New MMDA Chief". ABS-CBNnews.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Southwest Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal (SWIPTT)". Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  15. ↑ Calleja, Niña P. (September 20, 2013). "New Billboard Pact: Giants Out, 'Green' In". Inquirer.net. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  16. ↑ "MMDA to Resume Pasig River Ferry Service April 28". Motioncars. Inquirer.net. March 20, 2014. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  17. ↑ Cupin, Bea (April 28, 2014). "Pasig River Ferry System: More Stations, Android App Soon". Rappler. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  18. ↑ Gavel & Robe Magazine. February 2016. p. 44. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ↑ "Summer Student Film Festival". 39th Metro Manila Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  20. ↑ Carballo, Bibsy M. (November 26, 2012). "A Close Look at MMFF's New Wave". Philstar Global. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  21. ↑ Valisno, Jeffrey O. (November 22, 2010). "MMDA Chief Scraps Box Office Standing when Determining Film Fest Best Picture". Agimat. Anino Design. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  22. ↑ Corrales, Nestor (2017-07-11). "Ex-MMDA chief Tolentino named Duterte political adviser". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  23. ↑ Bueza, Michael (June 8, 2016). "Senate race: Tolentino spent most, Isko Moreno got biggest contributions". rappler.com. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  24. ↑ Elemia, Camille (February 14, 2019). "Duterte Officially Endorses 11 Chosen Candidates for May 2019". Rappler. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  25. ↑ Cabico, Gaea Katreena (May 22, 2019). "Second Time's a Charm: Francis Tolentino Makes it to Senate". Philstar Global. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  26. ↑ Office, Bangsamoro Information (2022-03-02). "Sen. Tolentino vows continuous support to BARMM". BARMM Official Website. Retrieved 2022-09-26.

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