President Aquino’s statement on the withdrawal of Francis Tolentino from the admin Senate slate

(Photo from the Malacañang Photo Bureau/Rey Baniquet)

Statement

of

His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III

President of the Philippines

On the withdrawal of MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino from the administration’s Senate slate

[Released on October 7, 2015]

Today, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino spoke on the recent incident connected to him. He has accepted responsibility for it. With this, he has likewise decided to withdraw as a senatorial candidate of the Administration.‎

In all his years of public service, from the time he was appointed by my mother as Officer in Charge of Tagaytay City in 1986 to his participation in the reform agenda as a member of my Cabinet, Francis demonstrated the dedication and dynamic leadership of a public servant committed to the common good. It is this same commitment that encouraged him to set his sights towards serving our people in a higher capacity.

Francis is a firm advocate of Daang Matuwid. He knows that, at present, those who oppose meaningful reform will want to exploit the incident. I believe that Chairman Tolentino is doing his part to ensure that public debate truly focuses on the continuation of Daang Matuwid and the undeniable benefits it has brought to our Bosses.

It is also my belief that he will take the opportunity to further reflect on how he can better affect positive change in the future.