Sen. Francis Tolentino, seeking reelection, files his certificate of candidacy (CoC) before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) stationed at the Manila Hotel on Oct. 1, 2024. Tolentino is a candidate of the Alyansa Bagong Pilipinas of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Video by William Gabriel Tan
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00:00I have always, if you have listened to my previous statements, as well as the letter that I showed before, I still hold President Duterte in the highest esteem.
00:13There's no bad blood, so to speak. I still respect him. What I did was not just a mere political decision. It has to be something aligned with my personal principles.
00:32For instance, in foreign policy, we should deal on a multilateral basis with our partners, engage our diplomatic partners on a higher level, and not just confine ourselves in a bilateral relationship with another country.
00:50So that's one of the reasons. But again, I align myself in administration because I foresee that the current administration's goals, specifically its eight-point economic development plan, would really overwhelm the Filipino people.
01:07For example, we're now talking of increasing our middle class sector to match the 36% middle class of Thailand or even the 40% middle class sector of Malaysia.
01:22And I think the Marcos administration has plans for that. So I am for a more dynamic economy, stable political condition, which I believe would really help the Filipino people achieve their aspirations as far as our goal as a country is concerned.
