Sen. Robin Padilla has dismissed speculation that he is eyeing the vice presidency, stating publicly that he will not pursue the country’s second-highest post.
“[I] have no plans to be a vice presidential candidate,” Padilla wrote on Facebook on Sunday.
His statement followed political discussions linking him to a possible tandem in the 2028 national elections. Vice President Sara Duterte, a close ally, earlier declared her intention to run for president, becoming the first to publicly announce plans for the next presidential race.
Padilla’s remarks also referenced former president Rodrigo Duterte, known as “Digong,” who remains detained at the International Criminal Court over a case involving crimes against humanity. “As long as Digong says it, I will follow,” the senator said in Filipino.
The comment drew sharp criticism from political analyst Ronald Llamas, who served as political affairs adviser to the late president Benigno Aquino III. In a Facebook post, Llamas said: “When you want to be Vice President, not because you want to serve, but because you are a servant to a prisoner in the ICC.”
“He only confirmed accusations that he doesn’t have a brain of his own,” Llamas further said of Padilla in a Facebook post in Filipino.
Padilla responded by pointing to internal rules within their political group, PDP-Laban, chaired by the former president. “Does your smart brain find it hard to understand that a political party has rules and regulations, and only the chairman decides who – and what – a party member should run for?” he said.
Earlier in the week, before speculation intensified about his own possible candidacy, Padilla had said he was gathering backing for Sen. Imee Marcos to serve as Duterte’s running mate.
