Robin Padilla: A changed man

Many have attested that he is a changed man. His bad boy portrayals in ‘90s gangster flicks did become a reality, but after a lesson learned and a change of faith, he emerged as a perfect gentleman, both in words and in action. iGMA sets out to find out if this bad boy is really a reformed rake. "Hindi naman po natin masisisi 'yung mga tao dahil talagang isang beses sa kabanata ng buhay ko ay dumaan talaga doon," says "Binoe," who was baptized "Abdul Aziz" after his conversion to Islam. "Ngayon, iyon ay nakalipas na, at ako ay hindi na isang 'boy,' ako'y 'man' na! Napakapangit naman siguro kung maging 'bad man!' Parte na lang ng nakalipas 'yan." This was the Robin Padilla we witnessed in Subic (Pampanga), at the set of Asian Treasures -- someone who would rather stand up so the interviewer could sit down; someone who eats with his hands together with the crew; someone who remains humble and approachable despite his celebrity status. Binoe's acting career took off in the ‘90s with certified hits such as Anak ni Baby Ama (1990), Bad Boy (1990), Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum (1991), and Maging Sino Ka Man (1991). But his rising fame was interrupted by his mid-‘90s conviction due to illegal possession of firearms. Apparently, his imprisonment did him wonders, because it was during this time when he was converted to Islam and he changed his outlook in life. After this self-confessed former drug addict was released in 1998, he sported a cleaner and more refined lifestyle, and he immediately revived his showbiz career. His flexibility to adapt to different genres, especially to comedy, action, drama, and romance enabled him to reach a wide audience that transcends social classes. Be it pang- masa or elitista, Robin's charm seems inescapable. That is why his latest foray into primetime TV inevitably raised people's expectations once again, because it’s guaranteed to be no less than a certified hit. In Asian Treasures, Binoe plays Elias, whom he describes as "isang sanggano, na medyo bastos, na mapagmahal sa pamilya, na kailangang kumita ng pera para matustusan ang pangangailangan ng mga kapatid niya." When asked what kind of Binoe people could expect from him in his first GMA teleserye, he replies with a smile, "Ito po ang Robin Padilla na maganda ang gising sa umaga. 'Yun po 'yung kengkoy, makulit, makuwento, madaldal! Kasi dalawa 'yun e. Isang masama ang gising – 'yun 'yung 'bad man!' Dito naman 'yung maganda ang gising." Proudly Filipino We also realized during this set visit that Robin is not only serious about his craft and his religion, he's also passionate about his country (he has a Philippine flag on his car, by the way). For instance, Asian Treasures' historical slant is something he's very excited about. "Ang Asian Treasures po ay kakaiba dahil ito ay umiikot sa, unang una, sa kasayasayan ng ating Inang Bayan. At 'yan po ang isang bagay kung bakit ko niyakap itong proyektong ito. Kasi matagal na panahon na akong hindi gumawa ng pelikula na inilalarawan ang ating kasayasayan. Ngunit sa malungkot na pangyayari, hindi po kumikita (ang ganitong mga pelikula). Eh ngayon po, sa talino at pagsasama ng mga talento sa GMA, nagawa sila ng isang proyekto na naglalahad ng kasayasayan ngunit hindi nagsesermon. Ito ay ang sinasabing napagsama nila sa salitang Ingles ang 'fiction' at 'yung katotohanan na makapagbibigay ng kasiyahan o entertainment sa tao." He tells us about his experience with a group of students who interviewed him a long time ago: "Hindi nila alam na nagkaroon ng Philippine-American War. Napakasakit ng mga ganoon (na pangyayari). Hindi naman 'yung giyera 'yung pinaguusapan doon, kundi 'yung mga bayani noon! 'Wag po natin kalimutan ang ating mga bayani. At diyan sa Asian Treasures, makikilala niyo kung sino 'yung mga bayani." He adds, "Mahirap ang isang bansa na hindi natin alam kung ano ang pinanggalingan natin – kung ano ang ugat ng ating Inang Bayan. Itong Asian treasures ay aming inilalarawan ang matagal nang nakalimutang kasaysayan ng ating bansa na sa matagal na panahon ay nakalimutan na ng ating kabataan." Most people who have seen the first few weeks of Asian Treasures have commented that it "looks like a movie." Robin agrees with this: "Kami ay gumagawa ng imposible lagi, dahil ito pong Asian Treasures, ito ay pelikula, na aming ginagawang telebisyon! Kaya ang trabaho po namin dito na inyo pong babantayan, eh makikita niyo na para kaming mga mahikero, dahil 'yung hindi po pwedeng gawin sa TV, upang makapagbigay ng magandang palabas sa ating manonood, ay nagagawa namin!" Case in point are their fight sequences, which usually take about three to five days for a typical movie shoot, take only a few hours for this primetime gem. "'Yung pong mga ganoong klaseng (eksena), magkakable paminsan, eh wala pong pagkakabitan ng kable, (kaya) makakakita ka ng kung saan-saang nanggagaling na suporta para maikabit ng kable. Katulad ng ngayon, 'yung pagtalon diyan sa kotse – sa pelikula po, dalawang araw ito! Pero gagawin namin ito ng ilang oras lang!" There is no doubt that Binoe is perfectly capable of doing all of his stunts, but he stresses the need for stuntmen to generate jobs within the production. "Alam niyo po, pag dating sa stunts, ako po ay wala nang dapat patunayan, dahil nagawa ko na po lahat ang pinakamatitinding mga stunts dito sa Pilipinas. At wala pa pong nakapapantay sa mga ginawa kong mga stunts. 'Yung pong paggawa ng stuntman, 'yun po ay isang bagay lang para makatulong tayo sa mga taong walang trabaho. Kung sila po ay makagawa ng stunt, sila ay may bayad. Di naman po tayo suwapang na gusto natin tirahin lahat para tayo lang ang makinabang." We asked Binoe how he prepares for his stunts, and he explains to us that it's harder than it seems. "Ang paghahanda po ng isang stunt ay hindi po 'yan 'yung pagaaralan mo ngayon, gagawin mo mamaya. Ang pagaaral po niyan ay magmumula pa sa bata ka pa. Kailangan ang katawan mo ay marunong tumanggap ng sakit, dahil masakit iyon! Hindi pupwedeng nagising ka lang, stuntman ka na ngayon! O gusto mo, tumalon ka na ngayon!" Although he hasn't suffered any injuries from filming Asian Treasures, he's had his share of accidents that were quite life-threatening. For instance, both his arms are currently covered in burn scars from a movie he did in 1992. "Eh 'yung kasing injuries – kasama 'yan sa action – kasama 'yan sa training. May bukol, sprain, pero hindi masarap pag wala 'yun! Hindi mo mararamdaman na nagte-training ka kung hindi ka nasasaktan." Action Man His love for martial arts was sparked by idolizing artists such as Bruce Lee when he was still a young boy, something that worked to his advantage with his career path as an action star. "Kasi kailangan ko 'yan bilang isang action star, bukod po sa sa hilig ko, ay talagang nakikita ko po 'yung wisdom, 'yung talagang tinatawag na kagandahan ng martial arts.. Hindi lang 'yung bugbugan, kundi sa disiplina sa sarili." His current training in martial arts includes Karate, Ninjitsu, Jiujitsu, Dujitsu, Endo, Kenpo, Wushu, and Muay Thai, among others. "Iisa lang naman 'yan e! Sa katunayan ho e wala namang pinagkaiba – iba iba lang ang master," he says. "Pero iisa lang ang pilosopiya – 'yun ay tayo ay may dalawang kamay at dalawang paa, di ba? Ngayon, siguro, pag may lumabas na tao na apat ang kamay eh iba na ang martial arts noon!" says Binoe with a laugh. But if Binoe were to choose which martial art he likes best, it would be Arnis. "Nagkataon lang na chairman po ako ng Muay Thai sa Pilipinas, kaya siya ang aking pino-promote, pero kung sa sarili kong mungkahi, eh Arnis pa rin, dahil 'yun ang atin!" He, together with the RP Team, taught Muay Thai to his cast mates in Asian Treasures. Binoe shares that whenever they shoot a dangerous sequence, their primary concern is to prevent injuries. "Kung meron po kaming pinagdarasal lagi eh 'yung walang aksidente. Masakit na unang una, sa katawan mo, masakit para din doon sa tao. Marami na po tayong nakita na stuntman na talagang magagaling, pero naparilitiko; may mga namatay pa. Sana po dito sa ating Asian Treasures ay hindi pa tayo magkaroon ng ganoong sakuna." When Binoe isn't busy training or acting, he spends quality time with his family based in Australia. "Tulad ngayon, nandito 'yung pamilya ko, pasyal kami nang pasyal, kung saan-saan kami nakakarating, saka kung ano 'yung ginagawa ko, 'yun din ang ginagawa ng mga anak ko. Kung nagma-martial arts ako, nagma-martial arts din sila! Pag nagbabasa ako ng libro, nagbabasa sila ng libro! Basta ayoko ng nakaupo lang." But unlike typical family outings, Binoe doesn't just bring his family anywhere; they go to historical places. He obviously wants to impart his love for the country to his family, especially to his kids. "Katulad nitong huling Bagong Taon, kami ay nagpunta sa Vigan, binisita nila kung saan binigti 'yung lola nila – totoo 'yun! Ang mga bata kasi ngayon, mas magiging malalim ang kanilang pananaw kung alam nila kung saan ang pinagugatan ng kanilang lahi." In Asian Treasures, Binoe is joined by equally experienced actors, including Eddie Garcia, Julie Gamboa, Ronaldo Valdez, Caridad Sanchez, and Jaime Fabregas. Of course, a few cast members got a rather "grand" introduction from the leading man himself: "Sa mga kabataan naman po ay nandirito ang reyna ng pantaserye! Nandito si Angel Locsin na talaga namang saksakan po ng tapang. At umaapaw ang kagandahan! At nandiyan din po ang punong-puno ng alindog! Si Diana Zubiri! Nandiyan din po ang punong puno ng poot! Si Marvin Agustin! Nandiyan din ang mga totoong martial artists, nandito ang ating mga champion ng URCC (Universal Reality Combat Championship), Tapos 'yung World Champion ng Wushu, nandito rin! Kumpleto po 'to! Wala nang hahanapin pa!" In line with the story's title, we asked Binoe about his life's number one treasure. He took a moment to think, obviously searching for a genuine answer. His reply did not disappoint, for we knew by the end of the interview that he wasn't the type to say something superficial or saccharine. He was now a man true to his word, someone with enough experience not to put up facades or live under pretenses. "Hindi po talaga materyal. Kailanman ang kayamanan ay hindi sa materyal. Ang kayamanan ay madadala mo sa hukay. Magandang gawa. 'Yan lang ang pwede nating tawaging kayamanan ng bawat tao, kung ano 'yung pwede mong gawing maganda, 'yan ang dadalhin mo sa libingan, hanggang sa kabilang buhay." We arrived in Subic that morning, uncertain of the Binoe that we were going to meet. When we left that night, we were certified Binoe fans. iGMA