Francis Tolentino — Author

BIOGRAPHY

Francis Tolentino served as Majority Leader of the Philippine Senate and initiated the development of Mavulis Island for the Philippine Navy. His published works include Soul of Freedom (2006), Civil Will (2014), Pandemic Handbook for Philippine Local Governments (2020), Across the Oceans (2021), and Winds of Sovereignty: The Mavulis Poems.

He earned his law degrees from the University of Michigan Law School and Columbia Law School. His writing reflects a sustained commitment to country, conscience, and scholarship.

LITERARY FOCUS

His poetry and non-fiction writings explore themes of law, freedom, maritime sovereignty, and national identity. Rather than narrative fiction, his work favors reflection, witness, and poetic testimony giving voice to places, institutions, and individuals who quietly defend democratic life.

Francis Tolentino is a poet, author, and legal scholar whose work explores sovereignty, freedom, and the enduring relationship between law and the sea. His writing reflects a deep engagement with nationhood, duty, and the quiet forces that shape democratic identity.

Rooted in lived experience and intellectual discipline, his work stands at the intersection of literature, law, and maritime consciousness.