Several posts are claiming that Sen. Robin Padilla extended his middle finger, a rude gesture, while singing the national anthem during a Senate plenary session. These are false.
Since Sept. 9, Facebook, YouTube and Tiktok users have been circulating low-quality photos and videos of the actor-turned politician singing the Lupang Hinirang with his right hand flashing the “dirty finger” at the Sept. 8 plenary session.
On Sept. 11, a FB user posted a blurry five-second clip taken from the Senate’s YouTube livestream.
A portion of the post’s caption read:
“ANG LUPANG HINIRANG AY PARA SA RESPETO, HINDI PARA SA PANGBABASTOS. Habang ang mga tao, seryoso at nakatayo nang tuwid, may kamay sa dibdib… si Senator Robin Padilla, aba’y nakadeklara ng middle finger sa mismong Pambansang Awit
(LUPANG HINIRAM IS FOR RESPECT, NOT FOR VULGARITY. While the people were serious and standing straight, with their hands on their chests… Senator Robin Padilla gave the middle finger during the National Anthem itself).”
Other netizens posted copies of the clips making the same claim. Media organization Rappler also posted a now-deleted video also alleging that the senator flashed his middle finger.
This is not true. It was Padilla’s index finger, not his middle finger, that was extended.
In a Sept. 11 Facebook livestream, Padilla addressed the circulating posts and clarified that he raised his index finger as a symbol of his Islamic faith.
“Meron pong larawan na tunay kung ano po ‘yung ating ginagawang Kalima. Gusto ko pong iparating sa inyong lahat, ito [raised index finger] po ay banal sa aming mga Muslim. Banal po ito. Sapagkat ito po… ang ibig sabihin po nito, La ilaha ilalah, ibig sabihin, walang ibang diyos na dapat sambahin maliban sa Allah
(There is a real picture of the Kalima that we are doing. I want to convey to all of you, this [raised index finger] is sacred to us Muslims. It is sacred. Because this… what it means, la ilaha ilalah, means there is no other god to be worshipped but Allah),” the senator said.
Padilla also posted clearer photos from the session showing his index finger raised.
Another photo uploaded by Sen. Bong Go’s FB page shows Padilla with his index finger raised.
Rappler has since issued an apology to the senator and the Muslim community “for alleging a vulgar hand gesture” and said they had “no intention to put any sector or faith group in a bad light.”
This is not the first time that Padilla got netizens’ attention for making the hand gesture during the singing of the national anthem.
VERA Files has debunked other disinformation related to the senator.
The false posts started circulating a day after the Senate plenary session that elected Sen. Tito Sotto and ended Sen. Chiz Escudero’s leadership. This led some netizens to speculate that Padilla’s “dirty finger” was a response to the coup that eventually put him in the minority bloc.
Four false FB posts collectively garnered 134 reactions, 130 comments, 60 shares and 22,000 views. A TikTok post and a YouTube video lacking context also garnered 38,206 reactions, 1,206 comments, 6,109 shares and 1,665,000 views.
