Actor-turned-politician Padilla on Wednesday extended his gratitude to the 26 million Filipinos who voted for him during the May 9 polls, saying his win is a 'symbolic unity' between the Muslims and Christian in the country.
Padilla, a neophyte lawmaker, along with 11 other senator-elects were proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), who sits as the National Board of Canvassers, at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Wednesday, May 18.
They will have a fresh-6-year term which will begin on the noon of June 30, 2022.
Running under the ruling PDP-Laban, Padilla emerged as the top choice of Filipinos as a senator with 26,612,434 votes based on the partial and official count by the NBOC.
"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 during his two-minute speech.
[Our win is a symbolic unity between Muslims and Christians. For a long time, almost 30 years, there's no Muslim that 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 muling magkaroon ng representasyon sa Senado. At inyong binigyan ng pagkakataon ang inyong mga kapatid," he added.
[Throughout 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 the same speech, Padilla also thanked the Catholic Church, The Iglesia Ni Cristo, Apollo Quiboloy, and Mike Velarde. Likewise, he also gave a salute to Senator Christopher 'Bong' Go, who was also present at the event.
Padilla also reiterated 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.]
And to close his speech, the actor pulled a line from the Eric Clapton classic, “Wonderful Tonight:” “It’s late in the evening, I feel wonderful tonight…” The same song he repeatedly performed during his campaign sorties.
