Senator Robin Padilla. Image: Facebook/Robin Padilla
Senator Robin Padilla apologized to those who were offended by his remarks on consensual sex between couples during a Senate hearing, as he stressed that he never said it was “okay” for husbands to force their wives to have sex.
In a Facebook statement on Friday, Aug. 16, the action star-turned-senator said sorry to netizens, as he reiterated that it’s his responsibility as chair of the Committee on Public Information and Mass Media to ensure that all sides are informed about the topic.
“Sa mga na-offend po o hindi nagustohan ang aming pagdinig patungkol sa marital rape, mga kababayan paumanhin po,” he said. “Ang marital rape po ay may mataas na porciento [sa] ibat ibang lugar sa Pilipinas ibig sabihin meron po pagkukulang ang gobyerno sa pagpapalaganap ng batas at ang pagkukulang na yun ay obligasyon ko na punuan.”
(To those who were offended and didn’t like our hearing on marital rape, I would like to say sorry to my constituents. Marital rape happens in a huge percentage of areas in the Philippines. This means that the government lacks in pushing for laws and information dissemination among the public, making it my obligation to fill in those gaps.)
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Robin Padilla
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Robin Padilla
Padilla urged netizens not to be sensitive when the Senate holds hearings on such topics.
“Wag po tayo maging sensitive sa pagdinig sapagkat yun po ang ibig sabihin ng hearing,” he said.
(Don’t be sensitive since this is what hearings are about.)
“Such inquiries may refer to the implementation or re-examination of any law or appropriation, or in connection with any proposed legislation or the formulation of, or connection with future legislation, or will aid in the review or formulation of a new legislative policy or enactment,” he added.
Padilla also stressed in a separate post on Saturday, Aug. 17, that he never said that it was okay for husbands to force their wives into having sex with them.
“Una sa lahat, wala akong sinabi na ok na pilitin ang asawang babae sa pagtatalik…Pangalawa, ang sabi ko, paano kaming mga lalaki na naniniwala sa sexual rights kapag kami ay in heat? Not drunk. Not violent. Not under [the] influence of any drugs or liquor. Plain love and lust,” he said.
(First of all, I never said that it was okay for husbands to force their wives to have sexual intercourse with them. Second, what I said was, “How can we men believe in sexual rights when we’re in heat?” Not drunk. Not violent. Not under the influence of any drugs or liquor. Plain love and lust.)
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Robin Padilla
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Robin Padilla
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Robin Padilla
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Robin Padilla
Citing the Christian Bible and Muslim teachings, Padilla said he was raised on both teachings and married couples have the right to enjoy a “healthy sexual relationship.”
“Malinaw po don na ang babae ang nagpapasakop sa lalaki (It’s clear that a woman should submit herself to her husband),” he said while quoting a bible verse. “Paul’s teaching on sex within marriage is extraordinary. He says that husband and wife should give one another their conjugal rights… Each has a right to enjoy sex and each has an obligation to help the other enjoy sex as well. Both spouses should receive joy and pleasure in a healthy sexual relationship.”
“Sa isang muslim (For muslims), in Islam, the husband should have intercourse with his wife according to what satisfies her, so long as that does not harm him physically or keep him from earning a living,” he added.
The senator also pointed out that a husband “is obliged to treat his wife in a kind and reasonable manner.”
“Part of that kind and reasonable treatment is intercourse, with tradition stipulating that couples should not forego intercourse for longer than four months, though some prominent scholars have prescribed a more stringent minimum frequency of sexual intercourse as a religious obligation for husbands,” he added.
Padilla was on the brunt of criticism after consensual sex was the central topic of a Senate hearing last Aug. 15, where he expressed his concern about women not being in the mood for sex, despite their husbands having the desire to do so.
His remarks drew backlash from netizens, as well as Women’s Rights group Gabriela.