Robin Padilla, on parole since 1997, walked out of Malacañang Palace last Tuesday a free man after President Rodrigo Duterte granted him “absolute and unconditional pardon.”Duterte confirmed this at a dinner with palace reporters.
“I just granted pardon in favor of Robin Padilla kasi yung original pardon niya hindi sinabi yung full restoration ng political and civil rights therefore he could not trravel, he could not get a permit… to possess a gun again. I really do not know the dimension of what is meant by deprivation of political and human rights. But one thing is that you cannot vote, you cannot travel and therefore he could not be issued a passport,” Duterte said.
“Ang crime na ‘yan, walang nasaktan… He suffered enough I think. Eh, kung bitawan mo lang ‘yung tao sa labas, give him the rights… Makaboto, maka-travel whatever to enjoy. He can apply for a gun license because full civil and political rights, eh,” Duterte explained further.
Over lunch at Mario’s on T. Morato on Wednesday, Robin met with some members of the press.
“I didn’t expect this would happen. No, I didn’t ask Mayor (that’s how he addresses the President) to grant me this pardon. I didn’t know my manager (Betchay Vidanes) and my lawyer (Philip Jurado) applied for me to be among those the President would give executive clemency.
“Ayokong isiping hiningi ko ito kay Presidente. In the last 27 years, tanggap ko na ganito na buhay ko. Naging malapit ako kay FVR, kay Erap, kay GMA at maski kay PNoy, pero ni minsan hindi ko hiningi ang absolute pardon kahit na nga nagsilbi ako sa kanila nung sila ay mga pangulo pa.”
Robin said he was only scheduled to meet the President at the Palace and was to introduce her sister Rema for a project related to the rehabilitation of public hospitals. “My sister is in the health care business, so I wanted her to meet the President,” he said.
But, Robin was surprised when the President handed him over a folder and asked him to read the contents of the papers in it.
“Akala ko appointment for a government post. Ninerbyos ako. Pero, nung makita ko yung words na absolute pardon doon sa papel na binabasa ko, parang nawalan ako ng ulirat. Hindi ko na mabasa at parang nanikip and didbdib ko,” Robin related. “Sa bilis ng mga pangyayari muntik ko na ngang makalimutan na ipakilala ko si Rema.”
And this happened after his wife, Mariel Rodriguez, gave birth to a 7.5-pound baby in the US that he witnessed live on Face Time. He said, “Dapat nandoon ako! Eh, graduate ako ng birth coaching nung ipinagbubuntis pa lang ni Mariel yung anak naming.”
Since, he couldn’t get a visa from the US embassy, he wasn’t able to accompany his wife to the US and be with her when she gave birth.
With the absolute pardon granted to him by the President, Robin is all set to try and secure a visa from the US embassy so he can be with Mariel and Isabella, their daughter.
Padilla, a staunch supporter of Duterte prior to his rise to the presidency, was convicted for illegal possession of firearms in 1994 and sentenced to a 21-year prison term. He began to serve the term after the ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeals in 1995.
He was released after being granted conditional pardon by former President Fidel Ramos in 1997.