FILE PHOTO: Senator-elect Robin Padilla. Photo from Robin Padilla’s Facebook account
MANILA, Philippines — Senator-elect Robin Padilla thanked the more than 26 million Filipinos who voted for him, notably for bringing back Muslim representation to the Senate.
Now, he said, his goal is to push for reforms in the 1987 Constitution.
For topping the senatorial race, Padilla was proclaimed last among the 12 senatorial candidates who triumphed in the May polls.
“Bilang panghuling salita, gusto kong malaman ninyo na it’s late in the evening, I feel wonderful tonight (Lastly, I just want you all to know that it’s late in the evening, I feel wonderful tonight),” Padilla said as he ended his speech.
It was a clear reference to Eric Clapton’s hit song “Wonderful Tonight” which he performed in his campaign sorties to woo voters.
Padilla’s call to bring Muslim representation to the Senate has been a consistent part of his campaign speeches. Following his proclamation, he said that his win symbolized the “unity of the Muslims and Christians.”
“Ang ating pagkapanalo ay isang simbolo ng pagkakaisa ng mga Muslim at Kristyano. Sa loob ng matagal na panahon, halos umabot ang 30 taon. Walang Muslim na naging senador na,” Padilla said.
(Our win is a symbol of unity of the Muslim and Christian communities. For a very long time, almost 30 years, no Muslim became a senator.)
“Sa aking mga pinuntahang mga sortie, rally, ako ay nakiusap sa ating mga kababayan na sana mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang inyong mga kapatid na [Muslim na] muling magkaroon ng representasyon sa Senado. At inyong binigyan ng pagkakataon ang inyong mga kapatid,” he added.
(In my sorties, I asked our countrymen to give chance to the Muslims for us to have representation in the Senate. You have given that opportunity to our brothers.)
In his speech, Padilla also renewed his call to his fellow senators to support his push for reforms in the 1987 Constitution.
“Ang tangi kong hiling ngayon, ‘yung 26 plus million na bumoto sa akin, naniniwala sila sa aking plataporma at ‘yun po ang reporma sa ating Saligang Batas. Hinihingi ko sa inyo mga kapatid ko sa Senado, ating bigyan ng pagkakataon ang reporma,” Padilla said.
(My only plea now is that the 26 million-plus people who voted for me believe in my platform and that is the reforms in the Constitution. I appeal to you my brothers in the Senate, let’s give chance to these reforms.)
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Padilla topped the senatorial elections with 26,612,434 votes, according to the official count of the Commission on Elections.