Robin on Duterte: No strings attached

Unlike some of his colleagues (no names, please!) who, according to certain quarters, junked whatever political conviction they had (if any) and succumbed to monetary temptation, Robin Padilla endorsed and (in his own way) campaigned for President-elect Rodrigo Duterte with, so to speak, no strings attached.

As the world is now witnessing, people of varied colors (locally known as balimbings) have been trooping to the South (you and I know for what), while Robin is keeping a safe distance. Robin is vocal that he rooted for Duterte not for want of anything but because he believes that the man is what the country badly needs.

“I am not after anything,” Robin has been quoted as saying, adding that he may politely turn down any position if offered. (Robin campaigned for Duterte not just around the country but also among OFWs.)

“Even before then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte decided to run,” commented Robin’s manager Betchay Vidanes (she and Robin parted ways due to undisclosed reasons but they soon reconciled), “and even before Duterte started leading in the surveys, Robin said that he wanted Duterte to be the leader of the land. On his birthday last November, Robin’s big wish was for Duterte to win. Robin got his wish.”

Robin calls himself “a revolutionary” and that, he thinks, is what he has in common with Duterte. Both of them are frank about what they believe in and saying so without mincing words with no fear nor favor. Quote-unquote: Ang rebolusyon na isusulong (ni Duterte) ay tunay at magkakaroon ng kapangyarihan ay ang mga ordinaryo at manggagawang Filipino.” (In case you have a foreigner friend who wants to know what that means, kindly translate it for him.)

Betchay described Robin as “the man with a Midas Touch,” citing the following pieces of evidence:

• Aside from his prediction about Duterte becoming the next President, “Robin’s touch worked at the Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT) Season 5 when the Power Duo (composed of dancers Anjanette and Gavin) won, the first set of dancers to make that history on PGT; it was Robin as judge who spotted the duo’s star potential;”

• Robin remains a top celebrity endorser, having just renewed his ties with Kawasaki, Liveraide and Talk N’ Text; Northern Cement just signed him as endorser and, with wife Mariel Rodriguez, Hotel Sogo tapped him as ambassadors (now that the hotel is repositioning as a family-oriented destination);

The couple is expecting their first baby. After suffering two miscarriages (the second would have been triplets), Mariel is into her fourth month of pregnancy. It’s a delicate pregnancy so Mariel was advised to go into complete bed rest.

“We have waited this long to have a baby,” said Robin who has four children (one with a starlet and four with his ex-wife Liezl Sicangco). “We have been praying na sana maging safe at smooth ang kanyang pagbubuntis.”

Incidentally, in his social media account, Robin clarified a news item that he owns the house in Pampanga where a drug bust was conducted a few days ago. Robin explained that he bought that house almost 20 years ago and hasn’t used it so he decided to sell it.

“I’ve been going straight for a long time,” Betchay quoted Robin as saying, referring to his checkered past. “I am now focused on doing good not only for myself, for other people and for my family but also for the country.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)