Robin who?

The subject of this editorial has, since this was written and published, lost much of his swagger, thanks to a short stint behind bars. But he has supposedly turned Muslim and continues his high-profile life in the country, only visiting his wife and children in Australia periodically. (Author's note: He has also, since this intro was written, allegedly taken another wife--another showbiz pretty face.)

That he remains on the scene, hardly showing the kind of talent (like, say, Richard Burton's or Sir Laurence Olivier's) for which we can excuse everything else--well, almost everything else--is a deplorable reflection on the standards of Filipino filmmakers as well as fans.

But then, look at the kind of movie stars who pass for film actors in the Philippines, and the businessmen who pass for producers, and perhaps we should stop even thinking of a better film future for the country.

Yes, the indies may be the scene to watch.

____________________

Editorial, The Evening Paper

Issue of 28 August 1995

A friend cannot understand media's seeming fascination with the continuing mess Robin Padilla is making of his life. He says that giving the spoiled punk front-page treatment in newspapers and headline-news airtime on radio and television sends the wrong signals down the line of young and hero-worshipping Filipinos. Are local media sacrificing their obligation to help shape the values of their audience at the altar of commerce?

There is hardly any doubt that the print and broadcast media have been squeezing every drop of printer's ink that may still flow from a soon-to-dry-up Robin story. But it is also evident that media stories in this case are seeking to ask the right questions and unearth the secret power connections that have precisely allowed this disgusting transgression of the laws of government and society.

The interest in Robin Padilla's story is no longer producing legitimate coverage of the life of a boy who is not worth the space, the time, or the attention. It has become a revealing reportage on our times and our people: on every level of an industry that misguidedly gave its adoration to a paper hero; on opportunistic politicians riding on an image of crudity rather than courage; on law enforcers who, we are now finding out, have been playing a dangerous game of power and patronage.

The revelations about the punk and how he spent his days "eluding" those tasked to look for him tell a story of infinite shame--and we are afraid it may lead all the way to the top echelons of power in the country. The good thing is that we are learning every little thing about the contemptible misalliances that have prospered in the film industry, government, and the military.

Next time another punk comes along, hoping to make laughingstock of all of us, we'll know how to brutally cut him--and his connections--down to size.

-- NBT