(Eagle News)– Senatorial candidate actor Robin Padilla maintained his lead as the top senatoriable who got the most number of votes in the May 9, 2022 elections.
As of the May 12 partial and unofficial count, or three days after the elections, his votes hit more than 26.4 million, while the candidate at rank 2 is senator Loren Legada who in the previous elections had always been the frontrunner in the senatorial race. Legarda got 23.9 million votes.
Broadcaster Raffy Tulfo is third with 23.1 million votes, followed by senator Sherwin Gatchalian at 4th place (20.3 million votes), senator Chiz Escudero at 5th place (20.05 million), Mark Villar at 6th place (19.2 million), Alan Peter Cayetano at 7th place (19 million), senator Miguel Zubiri at 8th place (18.5 million), senator Joel Villanueva at 9th place (18.3 million), and JV. Ejercito at 10th place (15.6 million)
At 11th place is Risa Hontiveros (15.2 million) and at 12th place is Jinggoy Estrada (14.9 million)
Padilla topped the race at his first run for the senate.
In an interview with NET25, Padilla said the fact that he is leading the race by a big margin over popular veteran senators has yet to sink in.
“Hindi pa po siya nag-si-sink in. Napakahirap pong paniwalaan. Wala po tayong makinarya. Wala po talaga tayong kahit ano,” he said.
“Ang meron lang po mga kaibigan po natin,” Padilla said citing the support of President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, members of the Muslim community, and the Iglesia Ni Cristo.
“Masayang masaya po ako pero napakalaking responsibilidad po nito,” he said.
Padilla said he believes the the electorate wants change.
“Panggising po ito sa mga mambabatas.”
-Charter change-
Padilla, who converted to Islam in the late 1990s, said that he is pushing for charter change, believing that the country’s political system – a unitary presidential system – needed to change.
“Ang hatid po naming plataporma, yung charter change,” he said.
“Malakas po ang aking paniniwala na yung rebolusyonaryong pagbabago, ang pagpapalit ng Saligang Batas ang hinihintay ng ating mga kababayan na bumoto po sa atin.”
“Siguro po nagsawa na po ang ating mga kababayansa sa paulit-ulit na plataporma ng ating mga summa cum laude,” he said.
The actor is not really a stranger to politics, coming from a political family. His father, Casimero “Roy” Padilla Sr., was a politician who had served as the vice-governor or Camarines Norte in the 1970s, and as assemblyman in the 1980s.
-A voice from the Muslim community at the Senate-
At this point of his life, Robin Padilla said, he wants to help and give voice to Muslims’ concerns at the Senate.
The last time that there had been a Muslim senator was 27 years ago when Santanina Rasul served at the senate from 1987 to 1995.
Padilla said that he sought the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s help so he could be that voice of the Muslims at the Senate.
He said that he told INC Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo that he wants to help the Muslim community.
“Ako po ay humingi ng tulong sa Tagapamahalang Pangkalahatan, na tulungan ng mga Iglesia ni Cristo ang mga Muslim na magkaroon ng mataas na representasyon sa mataas na kapulungan,” Padilla said.
He said he was aware of how the INC had helped many people, including members of the Muslim community here and abroad, including in Africa.
“Batid ko pong napakatagal na po ninyong tinutulungan ang mga Muslim,” Padilla said citing what he told the INC Executive Minister.
“Nakita ko pong lahat ang mga tinutulungan po ng Iglesia Ni Cristo sa buong mundo. Hindi lamang po sa Pilipinas, kundi hanggang sa Africa po, ang mga kapatid na Muslim doon ay tinutulungan ng Iglesia Ni Cristo.”
“Kaya iyon po ang hiningi ko ng tulong sa atin pong kapatid na si Ka Eduardo Manalo. Nasabi ko po sa kanya na tulungan kaming mga Muslim na muling magkaroon ng representasyon sa Senado,” he said.
Padilla expressed his sincere gratitude to the INC as he was one of the senatorial candidates whom the INC members had voted for.
“At ako po ay taos-pusong nagpapasalamat sampu po ng aking mga kapatid na Muslim, sapagkat ako po ay napabilang sa mga nasuportahan po ng Iglesia Ni Cristo,” Padilla said.
He said he is sure that his big “pull-away” win was due to the solid vote of the INC members.
“Ang nagdulot po nito, sigurado po ako, ay ang solid vote ng INC,” Padilla said.
(Eagle News Service)
