Former Presidential Political Affairs Adviser Francis Tolentino said he will put disaster preparedness as his main thrust in his bid for a Senate seat in the May midterm elections.
At the sidelines of his birthday celebration held at the Sigtuna Hall of the Tagaytay International Convention Center (TICC) recently, the former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson cited the onslaught of Tropical Depression “Usman” in the Bicol region, which claimed more than 100 lives with some still missing, as a reason to prioritize disaster management and readiness.
“Wala kasing nagbabantay [sa Bicol] kaya 100 agad ang patay (There is nobody monitoring Bicol, that’s why 100 died),” Tolentino said.
“Walang tumatakbong senador na nakahawak na ng patay, naghukay ng bangkay, nakahawak ng naagnas na bangkay (No other senatorial candidate has held, extracted bodies, or even held a decomposing cadaver),” he said, noting that he experienced all these during Supertyphoon Yolanda.
When asked for his birthday wish, Tolentino said he wishes for the continuous growth of the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (Calabarzon) region through various infrastructure projects.
“My birthday wish is for continuous growth for Calabarzon through various infrastructure projects.”
The ongoing projects include the extension of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) from Manila to Bacoor City, and the proposed New Centennial Water Supply Project-Kaliwa Dam, which will ensure water supply for Metro Manila residents and an additional raw water source that will augment the supply from Angat Dam.
Tolentino said he also hopes the Tutuban-Los Baños Railway (Southern Line) project of Philippine National Railways (PNR) will materialize soon.
“I hope the Tutuban-Los Baños Railway (Southern Line) project of Philippine National Railways (PNR) to materialize soon.”
The bridge project will connect Batangas with Mindoro (an alternative for the current ferry system), the Tayabas (Quezon) Highway, and the extension of Lucena (Quezon) to South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) road.
Tolentino personally conveyed these wishes to his special guest, President Rodrigo Duterte.
The President graced the occasion to formally endorse Tolentino’s senatorial bid, together with two other administration bets — former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Bong Go and former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director Bato dela Rosa.
Tolentino’s birthday celebration served as a show of force, with Calabarzon’s provincial and local government officials in attendance, including former Cavite governor Jonvic Remulla and Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez.
