By Ben Rosario
Opposition senatorial candidate Rep. Gary Alejano of Magdalo Partylist Thursday poked fun at action star Robin Padilla’s dare for the two of them to “attack Spratlys”, belittling the actor’s fearlessness and capability in going to real shootout.
Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano
(ALVIN KASIBAN / MANILA BULLETIN)
Alejano, a former Marine captain who graduated from the Philippine Military Academy, told Padilla to first try joining special military forces engaged in real gun battles for him to experience what it is to “smell the enemy’s gunpowder.”
“Movie Binoy, relax ka lang. For the meantime, I suggest you join a test mission of Force Recon, Ranger or SF (special forces) para maamoy mo rin pulbura ng kalaban at mafeel mo paano barilin ng kalaban sa tunay na buhay,” said Alejano in his Facebook post Thursday ( Just relax, Movie Binoy. For the meantime, I suggest you join the Force Recon, Ranger or SF to experience the smell of gunpowder of the enemy and feel what it is to be fired upon by the enemy in real life).
Alejano was responding to Padilla’s challenge for the two of them to go to the Spratlys.
Padilla is an active campaigner for administration candidate, former special assistant to the president Christopher “Bong” Go. He has joined actors Philip Salvador, Bayani Agbayani and Benjie Paras endorsing Go.
In his Instagram post, Padilla, who has killed hundreds of bad guys in his heroic exploits in numerous films, said he will accompany Alejano in visiting the disputed Spratlys area of the West Philippine Sea where the Chinese military have been holding fort.
"Sarilinin natin itong lakad lumusob tayo sa Spratlys," the actor told Alejano. (Let’s attack the Spratlys by ourselves)
“Lumusob tayo gayahin natin ang mga Tausug. At 'wag kang mag alala susunod ako sa plano mo dahil Marines ka, marahil mas magaling ka sa akin sa military tactics,” said Padilla in an apparent show of bravado.
”Kaya gawin na natin ito wala akong kokontrahin sa plano. Yakapin na natin ang pagiging bayani sa panahon na ito at marahil mabuhay natin ang bawat katipunan sa puso ng mga Pilipino at magising sa mahimbing na pagkakatulog," said Padilla. (So let’s do this, I will not go against your plan. Let us embrace being heroes in this time and maybe we can awaken the Katipunan heart in every Filipino and wake them up from deep slumber)
A staunch supporter of the Duterte government, Padilla aired his dare to Alejano after the Magdalo partylist solon, together with Otso Diretso senatorial bets Chel Diokno, Florin HIlbay and Samira Gutoc, made an attempt to visit the disputed Scarborough Shoal to plant the Philippine flag there.
The group had told reporters that their plan was to take a jetski to the area that is now teeming with Chinese military vessels and personnel.
The Philippine Coast Guard barred the opposition candidates from carrying out their plan that was aimed at reminding President Rodrigo Duterte of his campaign promise to go to the Spratlys and plant the Philippine flag in a glaring show of Philippines’ ownership of the area.
Administration candidate Jiggy Manicad and other executive officials dismissed the attempt as a mere publicity stunt aimed at boosting the candidacy of the Otso Diretso candidates.