Robin Padilla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robin Padilla
Official portrait, 2022
Senator of the Philippines
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2022
Senate positions Chair of the Senate Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes Committee In office July 25, 2022 – June 30, 2025 Preceded by Francis Pangilinan Chair of the Senate Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs Committee In office July 25, 2022 – June 30, 2025 Preceded by Imee Marcos (as Chair of the Committee on Cultural Communities) Chair of the Senate Public Information and Mass Media Committee In office July 25, 2022 – June 30, 2025
Party positions Preceded by Bong Revilla President of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Incumbent Assumed office July 24, 2024 Preceded by Jose Alvarez Succeeded by Sebastian Duterte (Acting)
Personal details
Born	Robinhood Cariño Padilla (1969-11-23) November 23, 1969 (age 55) Daet, Camarines Norte, Philippines
Political party	Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (2021–present)
Other political affiliations	Independent (until 2021)
Spouses	Liezl Sicangco ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2007)​ Mariel Rodriguez ​ (m. 2010)​
Relations	Padilla family
Children	7, including Kylie
Parents	Roy Padilla Sr. Lolita Eva Cariño
Alma mater	Philippine College of Criminology (BS)
Occupation	Actor film producer film director martial artist writer politician
Nicknames	Abdul Aziz (عبد العزيز) (Muslim name) Binoe/Binoy
Military service
Allegiance	Philippines
Branch/service	Philippine Army
Years of service	2020–present
Rank	Captain

Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (born November 23, 1969), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Aziz, is a famous Filipino actor, film director, and politician. He is currently serving as a senator of the Philippines. People in the Philippines know him as the "Bad Boy" of movies because he often played tough, heroic characters who sometimes broke the rules. He was also called the "Prince of Action" in Philippine cinema.

Padilla was elected to the Senate in the 2022 elections. He received one of the highest number of votes ever in a Philippine Senate election. He started his term as Senator on June 30, 2022. He is the first Muslim senator of the Philippines since Santanina Rasul, who served until 1995.

He is a supporter of former president Rodrigo Duterte. On July 24, 2024, he became the president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino political party.

Early Life and Education

Robinhood Cariño Padilla was born on November 23, 1969, in Daet, Camarines Norte. His father, Casimero "Roy" Padilla Sr., was a film director and politician. His mother, Lolita Eva Cariño, was an actress. Robin has many siblings, including actors Rommel and BB Gandanghari.

His father was a politician who served as a governor. Sadly, his father was assassinated in 1988. Robin's two other siblings also passed away before he turned 18.

Robin went to elementary school at Siena College of Quezon City. He attended high school at Saint Louis University Boys' High School. He stopped his studies at 17 to start his acting career. Later, he earned a bachelor's degree in criminology from Philippine College of Criminology.

Acting Career Highlights

Padilla in 2011

Robin Padilla got his first big acting role in the 1985 comedy film Public Enemy No. 2: Maraming Number Two. In 1991, he starred in popular films like Maging Sino Ka Man and Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum. During the filming of Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum, he had an accident where an explosion scene caused some burns.

In 1996, Padilla wrote and starred in the film Anak, Pagsubok Lamang ng Diyos. This movie was filmed mostly inside the New Bilibid Prison, where he was staying at the time. After he was released, he continued making movies. In 1998, he was injured again during filming when a stunt car flipped over.

In 1999, Robin started acting in TV shows, joining the comedy show Pwedeng Pwede on ABS-CBN. In 2002, he played his character Anghel again in Hari ng Selda: Anak ni Baby Ama 2, a sequel to his 1990 film. The next year, he starred in his first main action-drama TV series, Basta't Kasama Kita. In 2005, he made two films: the thriller Kulimlim and the comedy La Visa Loca. He won the Best Actor award at the 2006 Gawad Urian Awards for La Visa Loca.

In 2007, he moved to GMA Network and starred in the TV series Asian Treasures. He also made two films with GMA Films. Later, he decided not to have an exclusive contract, which allowed him to work with different film companies. He also played main characters in the TV series Joaquin Bordado and Totoy Bato.

In 2010, Padilla returned to ABS-CBN. He directed his first TV commercial in 2011. In 2013, he went back to GMA Network for a short role in Adarna with his daughter Kylie Padilla. He also starred in the 2013 action thriller 10,000 Hours, winning Best Actor at the 39th Metro Manila Film Festival.

From 2015 to 2018, he was a judge on the talent competition show Pilipinas Got Talent.

Advocacy Work

Robin Padilla has been a strong supporter of campaigns against malaria since 2004. He worked with the Department of Health to promote using mosquito nets to prevent the disease.

In 2007, Padilla started the Liwanag ng Kapayapaan Foundation, a pre-school for Muslim children who come from families with less money in Quezon City. The school temporarily closed but reopened in September 2010.

Padilla has also helped promote Muay Thai, a type of martial arts, in the Philippines. He donated money to the Muay Association of the Philippines and served as its chairman.

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Military Service

Robin Padilla joined the military as a reserve officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He holds the rank of Captain. In July 2020, he was chosen to lead the Strategic Communication Committee for the Army's Multi-Sectoral Advisory Board. In December 2021, he and other reservists who were running in the 2022 elections were temporarily removed from their leadership roles to ensure the military remained neutral in politics.

Political Career

Padilla first tried to enter politics in 1995 when he ran for Vice Governor of Nueva Ecija. He was an Independent candidate at the time. He lost that election.

Serving in the Senate (2022–Present)

On October 8, 2021, Robin Padilla officially announced his plan to run for senator under the PDP–Laban party for the 2022 elections. ..... He also wanted to create laws for community policing. Padilla also said he would hire lawyers to help him write new laws if he won.

Padilla won a seat in the Senate, getting the most votes among all senatorial candidates. This was a record-breaking number of votes in Philippine history for a Senate election. He believes his focus on federalism, not just his fame as an actor, helped him win. After his victory, he announced that he would hire lawyer Salvador Panelo and human rights lawyer Algamar Latiph to assist him in his role as senator.

In the 19th Congress, he voted for Migz Zubiri to become the Senate President, joining the majority group. He is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, and the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs.

In July 2022, Padilla filed his first ten proposed laws. ..... He also filed bills about equality, giving civil service eligibility to long-serving government employees, and creating a law for divorce in the Philippines.

He also showed interest in environmental issues and filed more bills in July 2022. These included ideas about federalism, creating a forum for the Bangsamoro region, and a resolution about exploring the West Philippine Sea with other countries. He also proposed laws for senior citizens' nursing homes, civil unions, and including Philippine History in high school.

Padilla, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs, pushed for an investigation into why Aetas (an indigenous group) in Central Luzon had not received money they were owed from an agreement signed in 2007.

On July 24, 2024, Robin Padilla officially became the president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) party.

Key Legislative Efforts

• Charter Change: As chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Padilla has started hearings to discuss changes to the 1987 Constitution. He wants to hold hearings in different provinces so all Filipinos can understand and share their thoughts on the matter. He is focusing on changing the economic parts of the Constitution.
• Fighting Fake News: Padilla has called for different government groups to work together to fight fake news. He filed Senate Resolution 191 in September to investigate this issue. He believes the news industry and schools should also help combat fake news.
• Mandatory ROTC: One of Padilla's goals when he ran for Senator was to bring back mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) training. In March 2024, he launched his own Basic Citizen Military Training for volunteers while the ROTC bill is still being discussed in Congress.
• Muslim Rights: Padilla filed Senate Bill 1273 to create more cemeteries for Muslims and indigenous people. This is to make sure they can have proper burials according to their traditions.
• Rights of Entertainment Workers: Padilla filed Senate Bill 450, known as the "Eddie Garcia Law." This bill aims to provide safety measures and other benefits for actors and workers in the Philippine entertainment industry.
• Same-Sex Civil Union: Padilla filed Senate Bill 449 to give same-sex couples the same rights as married straight couples under the law. He believes it is "high time" for the Philippines to do this. He stated that giving equal rights to same-sex couples will not reduce the rights of married couples.
• Benefits for Barangay Health Workers: Padilla filed Senate Bill 232, called the "Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers." This bill aims to give more pay and benefits to health workers in local communities. These benefits include discounts, transportation allowances, and a retirement bonus for those who have served for at least 15 years.
• Funding for Local Government Projects: Padilla filed Senate Bill 447 to ensure that local government units receive funding for their important development projects. He wants to make sure wealth is shared fairly to help communities grow and reduce differences in income and spending.
• South China Sea Dispute: On May 15, 2021, Padilla visited Thitu Island (Pagasa Island) to see the Filipino community and military outpost there. He praised the soldiers for protecting the country's claims in the South China Sea. On September 5, 2022, he spoke in the Senate about the need for the Philippines and China to work together to explore the disputed area. In 2023, he expressed doubt about whether the United States would fully support the Philippines if conflict grew in the South China Sea, suggesting the Philippine military could handle it alone.

Personal Life

Robin Padilla comes from a family of actors and politicians. His siblings BB, Rommel, and Royette are also actors. His half-brother Casimero also became a politician, serving as a congressman and governor.

He is the uncle of actors Bela Padilla, Daniel Padilla, and Mark Anthony Fernandez. He is also the great-uncle of Grae Fernandez.

In the 1980s, Robin, his mother, and four of his sisters became Jehovah's Witnesses.

Padilla converted to Islam while he was in prison. He adopted the name Abdul Aziz. He married Liezl Sicangco in a Muslim ceremony in 1996. They have four children together, including actresses Queenie and Kylie Padilla. In November 2009, Padilla announced that he and Sicangco had divorced in 2007.

On August 19, 2010, Padilla married Mariel Rodriguez in India. They met when he was a host on the TV show Wowowee. They have two daughters, born in November 2016 and November 2019. Even though they are married, Mariel Rodriguez remains a Roman Catholic. In 2017, Padilla became a grandfather when his daughters Queenie and Kylie had children.

In 2014, Padilla supported Rodrigo Duterte for president. In November 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte granted Padilla a full pardon, which restored all his civil and political rights.

Filmography

Film

As Actor

As Director Only

Television

Non-Acting Roles

Producer

Writer

Awards and Recognition