Sen. Robinhood Padilla issued an apology on Friday, Feb. 13, after drawing backlash for remarks suggesting today’s youth are “weak” amid growing concerns over suicide cases.
Speaking in response to television host Kim Atienza, Padilla said, “Paumanhin po,” after Atienza reminded him that “depression is not a simple matter of generational divide” and urged him to show more compassion. Atienza’s comments came in the context of his personal loss, following the death of his daughter Emman in 2025.
Despite the criticism, Padilla stood by his position that stricter policies are needed to address the mental health crisis among young Filipinos, including a proposed total ban on social media for children aged 16 and below.
The senator’s comments sparked strong reactions online and among mental health advocates, after he described the younger generation as “weak” and “iyakin,” claiming his generation was more street smart compared to Gen Z and millennials, whom he referred to as “digital natives.”
Padilla made the statement during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 10, focused on proposed bills regulating children’s social media use.
The controversy intensified as netizens pointed out that Padilla himself has cried on national television, calling out what they described as hypocrisy in his remarks.
Mental health professionals and advocacy groups, including the Psychological Association of the Philippines, pushed back against the senator’s statements, stressing: “The Filipino youth is not weak.” They also warned against dismissing depression as a generational issue, noting that adult depression exists and the condition should not be treated lightly.
