Answering the Call of Duty

JUST AS HE HAS DONE IN THE PAST FOUR DECADES, SENATOR FRANCIS N. TOLENTINO IS ONCE AGAIN READY TO HEED THE CALL OF DUTY AND TO FACE THE CHALLENGE OF HELPING BRING ABOUT SOLUTIONS TO FILIPINO FAMILIES’ WOES.

Senate Majority Leader Francis N. Tolentino is a man who wears many hats. Aside from being a senator, he is also a lawyer, author, reservist officer, and expert in national security administration. In all of these roles, he has time and again shown his readiness to answer the call of duty.

A LIFE DEDICATED TO PUBLIC SERVICE

“Tol,” as Tolentino is fondly called, has been a public servant for almost 40 years. His first foray into public service came in 1986, when he was appointed as officer in charge mayor of Tagaytay City at the young age of 26. Since then, he has held various positions in the executive and legislative branches of government.

In 1995, Tolentino decided to leave a promising legal career in New York, United States of America, in order to heed the call of duty. This duty was to serve the people of Tagaytay City as their elected mayor. Having proven himself as a capable leader during his first term, Tolentino was given two more terms by his constituents, thus serving a total of nine years until 2004.

As local chief executive, Tolentino institutionalized the Tagaytay Public Safety Office to manage traffic in the city. With its success, the program served as a template for other local government units, as well as the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). He also came up with the Character First Program, which brought together city officials and civic and religious leaders to build a “community of character” by focusing on Filipino character traits every month.

Recognizing his capabilities as a local chief executive, Tolentino’s peers from all over the country elected him to serve as a leader of two major leagues of local government officials. He served as president of the League of Cities of the Philippines from 2001-2004, and as executive vice president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines for the same period. As such, he was able to share his expertise in local governance with other local leaders.

 With his success in Tagaytay, Tolentino was appointed as MMDA chairman in 2010. Among his many efforts, Tolentino signed the Metro Manila Outdoor Media Magna Carta, which regulated the sizes of advertising materials in Metro Manila. This reduced the safety risks posed by gigantic advertising materials. His five-year tenure at the MMDA is best remembered for his innovative approach to solve the metro’s traffic woes. He launched the Metro Manila Integrated Bus Terminals project to decongest areas in Quezon City, Pasay City, and Manila where many bus terminals are located. With new bus terminals at the southern and northern parts of the metropolis, the traffic situation greatly improved. He also relaunched the Pasig Ferry System as an alternative means of transportation especially for those travelling to or from areas near the Pasig River. He leveraged social media and new technologies to provide real-time traffic information, making it easier for the agency’s men to respond to various traffic problems.

Aware of the important role of military reservists in nation-building, Tolentino joined the Philippine Army Reserve Command, where he presently holds the rank of brigadier general. “Reservists should be at the forefront of nation building,” he stresses. “We’re not just talking of those wearing military uniforms and doing military drills, but our doctors, engineers, and lawyers doing their own contributions within their own professional fields, and at the same time pushing for a more independent and strong Philippines.” Reservists, he says, are now playing a bigger role even without fanfare. “They’re doing their jobs, all 107, 000 reservists nationwide.”

Eager to serve even more of his fellow Filipinos, Tolentino ran for the Senate in 2016, where he narrowly missed the winning circle of 12. This did not dampen his spirit, however, and made another senatorial bid three years later. This time, more than 15.5 million Filipinos put their trust in Tolentino, giving him a clear mandate as a member of the Upper House. Recognizing the trust and confidence given him by the electorate, Tolentino has endeavored to do his best as a lawmaker.

SOLID LEGAL BACKGROUND

A major factor that has helped Tolentino excel both as an executive and a legislator is his solid legal background.

After gaining his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy degree from the Ateneo de Manila University, Tolentino gained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law. He went on to pass the Bar in 1984, with an impressive general average of 86.25%.

Determined to further hone his legal prowess, Tolentino pursued his masteral studies, obtaining three Master of Laws degrees from renowned law schools abroad. The first one was from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, USA, where he specialized in Constitutional Law. He then obtained another masteral degree from the University of London in England, with Public International Law as specialization. He graduated with merit, garnering Second Honors. His third masteral degree came from the prestigious Columbia Law School in New York City, concentrating on Corporation Law. Again, he excelled academically, and was given recognition for his “superior academic performance.”

Having passed the New York State Bar Exams, Tolentino went on to work in a law firm in New York.

“I’ve been trained as as a legal craftsman ever since. So basically it’s stepping into what the law book authors wrote so that you can study and practice law,” the senator says. Indeed, his long and comprehensive training in the field of law both here and abroad has made Tolentino “an artisan in the area of crafting meaningful legislation.”

As the seasoned public servant looks back on his educational journey, he identifies a simple piece of advice from his father that served as his guide. “He advised me to study hard. Just as in any endeavour, academic success is not given to anybody on a silver platter. You have to work hard, study hard. So I studied well because of his advice,” he says. His father, Attorney Isaac Tolentino, was the longest serving mayor of Tagaytay.

The true worth of Tolentino’s legal training is clearly evident in the quality of the bills he has filed and the laws he has helped enact, as well as his valuable inputs in Senate hearings regarding pressing national issues and floor deliberations on various bills and resolutions.

PROLIFIC LEGISLATOR

In the 19th Congress alone, Tolentino has authored 100 bills and co-authored 43 others. Of these, 20 have been enacted into law.

Just recently. President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, signed into law two landmark measures that Tolentino primarily authored and sponsored. These twin laws, namely Republic Act (RA) 12064 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and RA 12065 or the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, have been described by the senator as representing “a brave step forward, and a victory for every Filipino.”

The new laws, Tolentino stressed, are “for every citizen who stands for a sovereign Philippines, where not a single inch of our territory is not given up to any foregn power. These are for the future of our youth, where all the resources that fall within our jurisdiction are harnessed for our people's enjoyment and benefit.”

RA 12064, according to Tolentino, is the “birth certificate” of the West Philippine Sea, as it is meant to define the extent and bounds of our maritime domain. The law, he says, will make the West Philippine Sea “more than just a term, but will be formally defined and enshrined for the first time in national legislation.”

Meanwhile, RA 12065 designates three sea lanes in our archipelagic waters as well as the air routes above these. The archipelagic sea lanes (ASLs) include the Celebes Sea, Sibutu Sea,and Balintang Channel. "It is through these ASLs that all foreign vessels or aircraft will be allowed to pass or fly over,” he explains.

While stressing the importance of the two laws, the senator points out that these are not a panacea to the conflicts involving the West Philippine Sea, but are rather meant to solidify whatever claims we have, and to gain respect. "These were crafted to fortify our sovereignty and gain acceptance within the international community as a free nation struggling to assert its territorial domain,” he shares. The two laws incorporate key components of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that favored the Philippines in the arbitral case covering China's sweeping claims over the South China Sea.

Aside from the above, Tolentino was also one of the authors of RA 11934, or the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act. The law mandates public telecommunications entities and direct sellers of SIM cards to require subscribers to register their SIM card prior to activation. It has been hailed as an important tool in protecting cellular and broadband subscribers from illegal activities such as scams and all kinds of online fraud perpetrated through the unregulated use of SIM cards.

Tolentino was one of the authors of RA 12021 or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers. The law spells out, among others, the rights of Filipino Seafarers. Number one among these is the right to just terms and conditions of work, including a safe and secure workplace; decent working and living conditions on board a ship; and appropriate medical care and social protection. It also assures their right to self-organization and collective bargaining, paving the way for their representation in policy-making bodies and participation in the formulation of policies that affect them. The law further assures that Filipino seafarers, male or female, will be protected from all forms of discrimination, harassment and bullying.

The first-term senator was also among the authors of RA 1009, or the New Government Procurement Act. Said law, which has been described as a landmark piece of legislation in the area of government procurement, establishes a comprehensive framework for procurement activities within the government. Covering procurements by all branches and instrumentalities of the national government, down to local government units, the law aims to ensure transparency, efficiency, accountability, sustainability, and professionalism in the use of public funds.

Aside from the above, the senator has also authored laws related to strengthening professionalism and promoting the continuity of policies and modernization initiatives in the Armed Forces of the Philippines; standardizing and upgrading the benefits of military veterans; protecting the welfare of caregivers; diversifying and expanding the productive capabilities of local enterprises; establishing additional Shari’a courts; and establishing colleges of medicine in different provinces of the country.

CONTINUED ALL-OUT SERVICE

Reflecting on how his experience as a local government official continues to guide him in his role as senator, Tolentino shares that it is basically just the scope that differs. “Local government units are microcosms of a nation. It’s the same problems, you just look at such on a macro level, but the same problems of social welfare, economics, tourism, peace and order, energy, water, inflation. You just have to expand it to a level that would encompass all other spheres of society and governance: province, metropolitan areas, region. And basically it’s how you deal with people, how you help your constituents,” he asserts.

With a keen eye on identifying societal problems, the reelectionist senator has identified access to essential utilities as major concerns that need to be addressed. The Philippines, he says, “continues to grapple with challenges across its water, internet, and electricity sectors, reflecting the nation’s struggle with infrastructure development, climate issues,and resource management.”

Expressing his readiness to once again answer the call of duty, Tolentino spells out his current advocacy “centering on the pillars of clean and accessible water, universal Wi-Fi, and affordable, sustainable electricity for all Filipinos.” He has made it his mission "to champion initiatives that ensure equitable access to the said utilities, highlighting the need to address long-standing challenges in water security, bridge the digital divide through widespread internet connectivity, and promote the use of renewable energy to provide cost-effective and sustainable electricity, ultimately paving the way for a more inclusive and future-ready Philippines.”

A concrete proof of Tolentino’s commitment to the above mission is the impending launch of his LITAW Program for Disaster Relief, a comprehensive disaster relief initiative for Filipino families. The program, which stands for Liwanag, Internet, Water, Assistance, and Welfare, is meant as a holistic solution to the woes that Filipino families often face after being hit by natural disasters. An essential part of the program is the granting of government assistance on basic utilities. This program will ensure that vital needs will be available as the victims rebuild their homes and recover from the calamity. With LITAW forming part of his legislative agenda if given the chance to serve for another term as senator, Tolentino assures that just as he has given all-out service in the past, he will continue to give the Filipino people the kind of service they need: Bigay-todong Aksyon, Bigay-Todong Serbisyo (All-out Action, All-out Service.