Actress Nadia Montenegro has resigned from her post as political affairs officer under Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla.
The resignation comes days after taking a leave of absence following allegations that she smoked "marijuana" inside the Senate premises.
“Today, we received the written explanation and letter of resignation of Ms. Nadia Montenegro. Her resignation has been accepted,” confirmed Atty. Rudolf Philip Jurado, Padilla’s chief of staff in a statement.
Jurado further said that along with Montenegro’s resignation, she also submitted a written explanation regarding the reports on marijuana.
In her written explanation, Montenegro strongly denied the allegations, insisting that she was not the Senate staff member allegedly caught using marijuana inside the premises.
“I would never disrespect the Senate or betray the trust that was given to me by engaging in any unlawful or improper conduct,” she said.
Moreover, she emphasized that her resignation should not be construed as an admission of guilt.
“My decision to resign should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt—it is not. Rather, it is a demonstration of my deep respect for the Senate and Senator Padilla's office so that this issue does not cause further distraction or harm," Montenegro wrote.
"To prevent this baseless issue from growing any further, I would rather remove myself from the spotlight and allow the Senate to focus on its important work,” she noted.
The actress-turned-political officer also rejected claims in an incident report by the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA), which noted a suspicious odor—allegedly marijuana—emanating from a Senate restroom.
“It is untrue that OSAA personnel approached me inside the restroom about the alleged odor,” Montenegro clarified, adding that while she carried a vape, she never smoked marijuana on Senate grounds.
Montenegro further lamented the “public trial” she was subjected to, saying the controversy also dragged her children into ridicule.
“I was unfairly subjected to misjudgments, bashings, and grave humiliation. My children unjustly became the subject of ridicule, calling them the children of a ‘drug addict.’ One comment even said maybe my children are drug addicts as well,” she said.
"These claims have caused great pain and distress to me and my family. It is deeply hurtful to see my name and reputation tarnished and destroyed by a stroy that is simply not true. Me and my children do not deserve this! No one deserves this!," Montenegro emphasized.
To recap, Montenegro went on leave beginning August 13, the same day the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) began investigating reports of marijuana use inside its Pasay City compound.
Padilla's office also launched an investigation into the same incident.
In an incident report released by OSAA, the security personnel report cited two instances of a 'unusual odor' coming from the ladies' comfort room near the Senators' extension offices.
In the same incident report, Montenegro has earlier denied the allegations and allegedly admitted that she had a vape in her bag, which could have produced the unusual scent.
Jurado, in a DZRH interview on August 15, defended Montenegro, saying the marijuana allegations in news reports do not match the OSAA’s incident report.
In light of the controversy, photos of Montenegro with the Senate and Padilla’s office are no longer visible on her Instagram.
