Former Commission on Elections commissioner Rowena Guanzon is now publicly expressing remorse for having belittled Senator Robin Padilla — the same politician who is now voicing support for her reported senatorial bid in 2028.
Guanzon made the admission after Padilla posted on Facebook backing her potential candidacy, which appears linked to Vice President Sara Duterte’s expected presidential run. In his post, Padilla invoked his Muslim faith as the reason he harbors no resentment toward those who once disparaged him — including Guanzon, who had previously called him “low IQ.”
“Hindi ko po ikinakasakit ng damdamin ang mga ipinupukol sa akin bagkus ako po ay naliligayahan dahil katulad ng sinapit na pag maltrato sa propeta muhamad saw ay tumataas pa ang aking pananampalataya at ipinagdarasal ko na lamang ang nararamdaman na pang aapi,” Padilla wrote.
He also said: “Si Atty. Guanzon ay kailangan ni VP Sara Duterte at ng mga Pilipino,” and closed with, “Never mind the praises of this world. What matters is the judgement of Allah.”
Guanzon reposted Padilla’s message and shared her own reflection on her earlier judgment of him. “Na-judge kita noon pero bilib ako sayo ngayon. Saludo sa supremo,” she wrote as a caption.
She went on to acknowledge that despite having no personal communication with Padilla, she was struck by his decision to stand by her even amid skepticism from others. What she had failed to see before, she said, was that his dedication to public service was genuine — something she now believes explains why he topped the 2022 senatorial race without heavy campaign spending, a result that even her law school classmate and close friend could not resist backing him for.
“Ang maipapangako lang sayo Sen, Hinding hindi kita ipapahiya sa pagtaya mo saakin,” Guanzon said.
