Tolentino: I will advocate for a Negros federal state

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair and 2016 senatorial candidate, Atty. Francis Tolentino, confirmed he will be seeking another run in 2019 under the ruling PDP-Laban.

During a visit to Negros Occidental last Friday, Tolentino also affirmed he is still awaiting results of the ongoing probe into the 2016 polls, where he narrowly lost a spot in the Senate, coming in 13th place behind embattled Senator Leila de Lima.

“I am waiting for the result of the Senate investigation into the exposé by Senator Vicente Sotto III on the alleged 1.7 million missing votes from the early transmission of votes during the last elections,” he said.

Tolentino added, he believes the election protest filed against De Lima will not be decided in time for the certificate of candidacy deadline in October.

He expressed optimism with the upcoming polls, saying President Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity can positively influence his party’s slate, noting many of the economic gains in the country under the current administration are going “underreported.”

“The International Monetary Fund reported that the Philippines will become the fastest growing economy in the world next to India,” he said. “That is not being reported by mainstream media.”
“We are number one in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and second in the whole world,” he added.
Tolentino also discussed federalism, noting his support for local autonomy.

“I will advocate for more local autonomy, like the Negros federal state,” he affirmed.

The former MMDA chair credited the position from his past experience as Tagaytay City mayor./DGB, WDJ