DAVAO CITY - Senate aspirant Francis Tolentino on Thursday said he already secured the endorsement of influential sect Iglesia Ni Cristo, which is known for bloc voting.

“Alam niyo po nagpapasalamat ako sa kapatiran ng INC. Dahil alam ko ako ang ginawa nilang number 1 candidate,” Tolentino told reporters on the sidelines of Hugpong ng Pagbabago’s miting de avance in this city.

“I confirm that. I acknowledge that. I am eternally grateful for the endorsement coming from INC.”

Tolentino, who was out of the winners’ circle in the latest Pulse Asia survey, believes the INC endorsement will give him his much-needed boost.

He noted that some of those in the “fringes” of the surveys did not secure the INC’s endorsement. He refused to specify which candidates he was referring to.

According to Tolentino, INC leaders granted him an audience to inform him of the endorsement. He declined to reveal when this took place.

The former political adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte lost in his first Senate bid in 2013, placing 13th.

“The people are intelligent enough now to discern which candidates to choose. Alam naman nila kung sino ang makakatulong, hindi makakatulong,” Tolentino said.

Poll candidates vie for INC’s support every election season as the sect is known to vote as a bloc and could deliver over 1 million votes to an aspiring politician.