It is too early to judge Senator-elect Robin Padillaon how he will conduct himself as a legislator.

Reelected Senator Sherwin Gatchalian issued this appeal during a DWIZ radio interview after Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri ‘’gave’’ the chairmanship of the Senate Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes and Laws Committees to Padilla.

Gatchalian admits that the constitutional amendments panel is a rather complicated one and that past committee chairmen are or were legal luminaries.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, a former Senate Presdent and a bar topnotcher, said the committee could be handled by a non-lawyer since he would be getting the advice of lawyers.

But the Senate Justice Committee, according to Pimentel, should be handled by a lawyer such as Senator-elect Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero.

He said he agrees with the general direction of Padilla’s legislative agenda which is parliamentary and federalism but he likes to determine the details.

Like other proposed committee chairmen, Padilla’s chairmanship would be put to a vote when the 19th Congress starts on July 25.

The 52-year-old movie actor had publicly stated that he wanted this committee.

He is described as the ‘’Bad Boy of Philippine cinema". His father, Roy Padilla Sr., was a former Assemblyman of Camarines Norte in the 1980s.

Gatchalian said he has attended public hearings of the constitutional amendments committee and those in attendance he had seen were deans of law schools, constitutionalists, and former chief and associate justices.

‘’Talagang kumplikado ang pangungusap dyan at marami kang dalubhasa na kakausapin pero sa mga nakita ko naman talagang pursigido si Senator Padilla (The issues discussed in that committee are really complicated and you have to talk to many experts). In fact doon sa isang post niya kinuha niya si Secretary Panelo bilang kanyang chief legal adviser tingin ko determinado siyang matuto at magagaling ang kukunin niyang abogado para bigyan sya ng kaalaman (In his post, he got Secretary Panelo as his chief legal counsel. He is determined to learn and he would be getting topnotch lawyers to teach him),’’ he said.

Salvador Panelo, 75, served as chief legal counsel of President Duterte until he resigned in October 2021. He ran for senator but lost in the 2022 national elections.

Asked during the interview whether judgment on Padilla should be withheld for the meantime, Gatchalian replied: ‘’Huwag muna kasi nakita ko na kumukuha naman siya ng mga experts pero yun na nga let's keep in mind din na ito ay isang kumplikadong kumite at dapat mag-aral nang mabuti (Let’s not judge him yet because he is getting experts and let us keep in mind that this is a complicated committee and that he should study well).’’