Senator Robin Padilla on Monday came to the defense of former Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon following her viral confrontation with two mall-goers in Makati, stressing that elderly individuals deserve respect.
Padilla posted on Facebook in reaction to online criticism against Guanzon, who was seen in a video raising her voice and cursing at an unidentified man and woman after the man allegedly made a remark about her coughing.
According to Padilla, the man acted improperly, especially if he was Filipino, saying Guanzon should not have been treated that way.
“She’s a senior citizen. Our laws require us to care for and respect them. That man should even be thankful he wasn’t harmed, considering the attorney’s blood pressure had already spiked because of his behavior,” he wrote in Filipino.
He added that showing respect and care for the elderly is fundamental to Filipino values—not scolding them or telling them to leave a place just for coughing.
Padilla also pointed out that despite having been criticized by Guanzon in the past, he continued to treat her respectfully because of her experience and her status as a senior citizen.
“This isn’t about politics. This is about the law and being Filipino,” the senator wrote.
Guanzon earlier confirmed she filed complaints for unjust vexation and grave oral defamation against the unidentified man involved in the incident.
