"It's late in the evening, and I feel wonderful tonight.”
Citing a line from the famous Eric Clapton song that the actor always sung to woo voters, this is what incoming neophyte Senator Robinhood Ferdinand “Robin” Cariño Padilla declared during his proclamation at the Philippine International Convention (PICC) in Pasay City on Wednesday, May 18.
“Ang akin pong pagkapanalo ay isa pong simbolo ng pagkakaisa ng mga Muslim at Kristiyano (My win is a symbol of the unity of Muslim and Christians,” said Padilla who is a Muslim and carries the Muslim name Abdul Aziz.
“Sa loob ng matagal na panahon, halos umabot po ng tatlumpung taon. wala pong Muslim na naging senador na (For a long time, for almost 30 years now, there has been no Muslim representative at the Senate),” added the actor who whore an ethnic-style barong for his proclamation.
Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go and actor Philip Salvador were among the guests of Padilla at the proclamation.
Meanwhile, Padilla urged fellow senators to give charter change a chance.
Padilla, who led the senatorial race with 26,612,436 votes, reminded that part of his platform has been to push for Constitutional reforms once he got elected as a senator.
“Yun pong 26 plus million na bumoto po sa akin naniniwala po sila sa aking plataporma at yuon po ang ating reporma sa saligang batas (The more than 26 million who voted for me believe in my platform and that is reforms in the Constitution),” he stressed.
Commission on Election (Comelec) Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan, a fellow Muslim who presented the certificate of proclamation to Padilla, said that the actor’s win is “an overwhelming testament to the trust and confidence that the Filipino voters have imposed in him.”
“The public knows he has overcome several challenges in life. Given the top spot in the senatorial race is proof one is not defined by their past performances or circumstances.,” Pangarungan said.
Pangarungan recounted that he knew the actor, prior his decision to enter politics, as person who was “always ready to provide much needed help to a sector as vulnerable as ours.”
“His political career has only begun but his interest and knowledge in politics has long been established. He is a strong proponent of social justice and good governance,” the Comelec chairman cited.
“As a muslim brother we share a common advocacy in safeguarding the welfare of every Filipino including the underprivileged and the marginalized and our Muslim population,” he also said about Padilla.
Following Padilla at second spot with 24,264,969, votes, incoming returning Senator Loren Regina B. Legarda said she is looking forward to work with her fellow senators, especially, the neophytes.
“Sigurado ako marami ako matututunan sa mga (I am sure I will learn many things from) first-time senators who will bring a fresh perspective to the current problems facing the Senate today,” said the House Deputy Speaker and representative of the lone district of Antique.
Legarda recounted that she was the youngest senator when she got elected to the Senate at the age of 38 back in 1998.
“I look forward to my fourth term in the Senate po ngayon. Ang pinaka-senior po hindi po sa edad, kundi sa pang-apat kong termino sa Senado ngayon (I am the most senior because this will be my fourth term as senator),” she said.
Legarda said the problem she saw in 1998 continues to persist today and now includes the Covid-19 pandemic and the climate crisis.
She assured that she and fellow senators will work hard to these problems.
Padilla fellow neophyte senator, broadcaster Raffy T. Tulfo jested that that he could not believe that he won as a senator.
“Paligi kong pinipisil ang pisngi ko in the past few days kung totoo nga po itong nangyari (I have been pinching my cheeks for the past days to see if what is happening is real),” said Tulfo who got 23,396,954 votes.
Meanwhile, Tulfo assured the public: “I will work ward.”
He explained that he decided to leave being a broadcaster is to help the oppressed.
“Sila po ang isang dahilan kung bakit po ako kailangan mapunta sa Senado para this time mabigyan po sila ng karapatdapat na hustisya para matuldukan na po ang kanilang matagal ng problema (They are the reason why I needed to go to the Senate so that they be given justice I put a period in their long problems),” he stated.