Robin Padilla: I skipped 2026 SONA to avoid becoming a 'scene-stealer'

Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla explained his decision to skip the fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., saying he did not want to be a “scene-stealer” during the annual event.

“Kailanman ay hindi ko binastos o binalahura ang pagkatao ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. Hindi ganoon ang aking prinsipyo pagdating sa personal na pagkakaibigan,” Padilla said.

(I have never insulted the President. That is not my principle when it comes to my personal friendships.)

“Iniwasan ko na muling makakuha ng pansin o ‘umagaw ng eksena’ tulad noong nakaraang 2024 SONA, kung saan may mga pagkakataong habang nagpapalakpakan at nagpapakita ng pagpupugay ang mga tao ay nanatili lamang akong nakaupo at walang reaksiyon,” he said.

(I decided not to attend because I did not want to steal the scene again, similar to the 2024 SONA wherein I was caught having no reaction while other audiences were applauding him.)

Padilla is one of the 13 senators who skipped Marcos’ penultimate SONA on Monday at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.

Aside from Padilla, the other absentee senators were Senate President Pro-Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, Imee Marcos, Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, and Mark Villar.

For their part, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta were unable to attend due to their detention over separate plunder charges while Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has been in hiding following the issuance of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him over his alleged role in the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war. —RF, GMA News