Claudine Barretto Stands by Mariel After Robin Padilla’s Defense Sparks Debate
CLAUDINE BARRETTO – The controversy surrounding Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla’s past remarks about Senator Robin Padilla gained a new voice after Claudine Barretto openly took her friend’s side.
Optimum Star Claudine Barretto has expressed her support for Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla after the latter defended her husband, Senator Robin Padilla, against questions surrounding his qualifications for public office.
The issue resurfaced after an old video clip from Mariel’s 2022 vlog circulated again on social media. In the video, she spoke about the qualifications of her husband, who was still running for senator at the time.
“Si Robin no’ng nasa Bilibid nakapagpasa na ng batas. So, do’n sa mga nagsasabi na hindi siya qualified, I beg to disagree. He is more than qualified,” said Mariel.
Claudine later shared a comic strip-style publication created by an entertainment news platform that featured Mariel’s statement. The actress made her position clear by adding a brief but direct caption that read, “True.”
The resurfaced video, however, drew mixed reactions online, prompting Mariel to release another video statement to clarify what she meant by her earlier remarks about Senator Robin.
According to Mariel, when she said that Robin was already making laws while he was still incarcerated, she was referring to the period when her husband was allegedly involved in or associated with the drafting or promotion of legislative proposals.
“When Robin was in Bilibid, his case became closely associated with the issue that RA 8294 addressed—illegal possession of firearms. RA 8294 was enacted in 1997 while he was incarcerated,” she explained.
Mariel further emphasized her point by saying, “Now, IF gamitin natin ang talino na binigay sa atin ng Maykapal… sino kaya ang nag-draft at nagpasa ng bill na naging RA 8294? Obviously, legislators.”
She acknowledged, however, that some people may have interpreted her original statement in its most literal sense, which contributed to the confusion and the renewed discussion online.
Following Mariel’s clarification, Claudine once again showed her support for her friend. The actress shared Mariel’s video statement on social media and sent a message of love to the television host, whom she affectionately referred to as her “utol.”
“Love [you] & Utol Mariel Termulo-Padilla,” Claudine wrote.
Claudine’s public support for Mariel came amid the continued wave of reactions surrounding the resurfaced video. While opinions remain divided online, Mariel’s follow-up statement sought to provide context to her earlier comments, while Claudine made it clear that she stood by her friend throughout the controversy.
READ ALSO: Eric Fructuoso Reveals Something About Claudine Barretto