Robin Padilla confident on leading Cha-cha panel: Alam ko ang gagawin ko

Senator-elect Robin Padilla on Tuesday expressed confidence that he can lead the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes despite him being a neophyte lawmaker.

"Mabigat 'yon kung hindi mo alam ang gagawin mo. Ako naman, alam ko ang gagawin ko [That's difficult if you don't know what you'll do. But me, I know what I'll do]," Padilla said in an interview with reporters.

"Nand'yan 'yung mga abugado na mag-guide sa atin. 'Di naman ako nabibigatan. Ang nabibigatan yung taumbayan kasi kailangan na nilang baguhin yung Saligang Batas natin [I will be guided by lawyers. It will not be difficult for me, it will be difficult for the public because they will amend their Constitution]," he added.

Padilla argued that "real change" can only be achieved through Charter amendments, citing the attempts of former Presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Fidel V. Ramos to amend the Constitution.

"Hindi sila nagsusulong niyan dahil gusto nilang mapalawig, mapahaba ang kanilang termino, kung hindi na-realize nila na pagkatapos nilang gawin lahat babagsak tayo lagi sa Charter change," he added.

(They did not push for it because they wanted to stay in power. They did that because they realized Charter change is inevitable.]

Like what he had promised during the campaign period, Padilla said the first bill that he would file in the Senate would push for a shift to a federal form of government.

Federalism was one of the campaign promises of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte when he ran under PDP-Laban in 2016. However, he failed to push for it, saying Filipinos are not yet ready.

While Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who is poised to be the next Senate president, said that they are inclined to give Padilla the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, the neophyte senator said he has not discussed this yet with other senators.

Padilla went to the Senate on Tuesday morning to attend a briefing on legislative processes, particularly on plenary procedures and other processes at the committee level led by Deputy Secretary Edwin Bellen. He was accompanied by Atty. Demaree Raval.

Prior to this, Padilla had attended several briefings on economics, foreign policy, among others at the Development Academy of the Philippines for three days.

100% ready

The the actor-turned-politician said he is "100 percent" ready to sit as legislator and debate on certain bills with his fellow lawmakers.

"Lahat madali. Wala namang mahirap kasi gusto mong gawin eh. Pag gusto mong gawin, madali lang yon. Medyo ano lang, naninibago lang ako kasi hindi naman ako…Summa Cum Laude ako sa cutting classes noong araw... Iba na ngayon. Ako na ngayon naghahanap ng gagawin," he said.

(It's easy, as long as you like what you're doing. It will take some getting used to on my part, though, because I was a Summa Cum Laude for cutting classes back in the day. It's different now.)

Padilla also said he prefers to debate with his colleagues in Filipino, pointing out that all the 24 senators are all Filipino nationals.

"Una, hindi naman Amerikano mga kaharap ko para mag-English ako. Siguro kung Amerikano, well, I'm willing to debate [in English]. Pero mga Tagalog sila eh, eh 'di Tagalog tayo," he said.

(First, they are not Americans so I don't see a reason to speak English. Perhaps if they're Americans, well, I'm willing to debate in English. But since they speak Tagalog, so let's speak Tagalog.)

Padilla topped the 2022 senatorial race, garnering over 26 million votes.

Several senators have advised Padilla to study more as he seeks the chairmanship of one of the major committees in the Senate.

Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the neophyte senator "needs a lot of schooling," noting that the chairman of the Senate Constitutional Amendments and Revisions of Codes should have a wide legal knowledge.

Padilla was also seeking the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development in the next Congress, according to Zubiri.  —KBK, GMA News