Vice Ganda, Vhong Navarro poke fun at Robin Padilla on ‘It’s Showtime’

“It’s Showtime” hosts Vice Ganda and Vhong Navarro took a jab at Sen. Robin Padilla, with the former referencing the actor-politician’s wife Mariel’s statement that the latter was able to pass a law while he was still in jail.

The playful exchange took place during the August 15 episode of the noontime show when the Phenomenal Box Office star took notice of Navarro’s outfit — a tan-colored tailored vest over his black tank top and denim jeans.

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“Akala ko naka hubad ka,” Vice Ganda, who is non-binary, told Navarro. “Hiniram mo pa yung costume ni Robin Padilla sa ‘Maging Sino Ka Man,’” she further said, referring Padilla’s 1991 blockbuster movie with megastar Sharon Cuneta.

Navarro then picked up on the joke, and copied Padilla’s distinctive intonation and theatrical style before proceeding to sing a tune from the movie. “Aba, syempre, ‘tol. Dapat ganun tayo! Basta my goodness!”

“Ang galing talaga ‘to, idol ko to eh,” Vice Ganda said. “Nakakapagpasa ng batas sa Bilibid.”

The dig was not lost on Navarro, co-host Jhong Hilario, and the studio audience who cracked up at the reference.

On August 9, Mariel took to social media to clarify her remarks in a 2022 vlog about Padila after the video resurfaced online and drew criticism over her claim that he had already been involved in the passage of a law while he was in prison.

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She made the remark in defense of her husband, then aspiring to become a senator, who was being attacked by critics for his supposed lack of qualifications for the position, particularly his educational background and ability to make laws.

In the 2022 video, Mariel said: “Si Robin nung nasa Bilibid (New Bilibid Prison), nakapagpasa na ng batas, without even being a senator.”

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In her clarification, she now said, “I realized na ang common sense pala ay hindi ganon ka-common, lalo na dun sa mga people na sabi nila sobrang talino nila, na tini-take pala nila lahat literally.”

“Siyempre, hindi ka naman makakapag pasa ng batas kung di ka senator, kung di ka legislator. Pero sya po kasi ang case study nyan kaya nabuo ang pag amend ng batas a yon, known as the Robin Padilla law, ang RA 8294,” she further said.

Mariel referred to Republic Act No. 8294, which amended provisions of the law on illegal possession, manufacture, acquisition and disposition of firearms and ammunition.

But critics said RA 8294 only became associated with Padilla because he personally benefited from the law in connection with his firearms conviction.

The actor-senator was convicted of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition in 1995, and the law affected the legal consequences of his case, but the legislation was not authored or sponsored by him. It was enacted in 1997, before Padilla became a senator.