(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has granted absolute pardon to controversial actor Robin Padilla upon the recommendation of the Board of Parole under the Department of Justice.
In a dinner with the reporters yesterday at the Malacanang palace, President Duterte confirmed this, saying that with his absolute pardon, Padilla’s political and civil rights will be fully restored.
“I just granted pardon in favor of Robin Padilla kasi yung original pardon niya hindi sinabi yung full restoration ng political and civil rights. Therefore he could not travel, he could not get a permit…to possess a gun again. I really do not know the dimension of what is meant by deprivation of political and human rights. But one thing is that you cannot vote, you cannot travel and therefore he could not be issued a passport,” he said.
Mr. Duterte said Padilla had already “suffered enough.” He should already be given the right to vote and to travel. The grant of absolute pardon to the actor was given shortly after Padilla’s wife, TV host and actress Mariel Rivera gave birth to their first child to the United States. Padilla was only able to witness the birth of their child, Maria Isabelle, via video conference.
“Ang crime na ‘yan, walang nasaktan… He suffered enough I think. Eh, kung bitawan mo lang ‘yung tao sa labas, give him the rights… Makaboto, maka-travel whatever to enjoy. He can apply for a gun license because full civil and political rights, eh,” Duterte added.
Way back 1994, Padilla was convicted for illegal possession of firearms and was granted a conditional parole three years later by former President Fidel v. Ramos. Before the conditional pardon, he was jailed at the New Bilibid Prisons for three years.
Because of the absolute pardon given by Duterte, Padilla can now regain his political and civil rights, such as applying for a U.S tourist visit to visit his wife, Mariel, and baby Maria Isabelle.
Mariel is a US citizen.
A day before the baby’s delivery, Robin made several posts asking U.S. embassy officials to grant him a tourist visa so he could be with his wife as she delivers their first-born child.
