Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla apologized and entreated patience of those who have "missed the context" of his and human rights lawyer Atty. Lorna Kapunan's controversial discussion on marital relations during the Senate hearing on August 15.
In a statement released on Monday, Padilla claimed that he had only asked hypothetical questions based on the everyday Filipino's sentiments and reality, and meant to shed light on the issue.
"Ang aking mga katanungan po ay hypothetical base sa sentimiento at realidad ng mga pang-karaniwang Pilipino. Hindi po ito mula sa aking mga personal na gawain, paniniwala o karanasan," Padilla clarified.
(My questions were hypothetical, based on the sentiments and reality of average Filipinos. They do not stem from my personal practices, beliefs, or experiences.)
He said the line of his questioning meant to lead to a discussion and clarification on the concept of consent, and insisted the situations he had presented during the hearing reflected "the reality of the true state of relationships of ordinary Filipino couples."
"Ang pinang-gagalingan ko po ay upang gabayan ang karamihan ukol sa isyu ng marital rape (Where I am coming from is an intention to guide the majority about the issue of marital rape)," as well as the "gray area" in the Family and Civil Codes despite the Separation of Church and State, the senator explained.
"Ang mga sensitibong paksa na ito ay kailangan nating talakayin at pag usapan para maisaayos at mailagay sa tama ang batas," he said. "Ang pagtatalik ng mag-asawa ay may epekto sa mental health, emosyon, pisikal at kabutihan ng pagsasama. Kaya't nararapat po na ito ay ating bigyan linaw para sa usaping karapatang pangtao, kababaihan man po o at kalalakihan, kasal man o hindi."
(Sensitive topics like these must be tackled and talked about so as to adjust and rectify the law. Having sex as a married couple has an impact on mental and physical health, emotions, and the well-being of the relationship. That is why it is appropriate to clarify this issue for conversations on human rights, female or male, married, or not.)
In the Senate hearing on Thursday last week, Padilla asked what a husband may legally do should his wife refuse him sex, insisted on "sexual rights" to one's spouse, and made comments about wives' obligation to serve their husbands, sparking controversy online.
