Robin Padilla responds to critics of wife Mariel's viral IV drip session at Senate office
Sen. Robin Padilla stressed there was "no intention of disrespect" when his wife Mariel had her viral gluta drip procedure at his office and posted about it on social media—an incident that Sen. Nancy Binay referred to as "bothersome" as she asked public figures to be more aware of their responsibility to the public.
Padilla, in a statement, laughed off criticism and noted Mariel's love for promoting "good looks and good health."
"Nakakatawa naman po ang political isyu na 'yan, my goodness," he said. "Kung may nakita po silang masasa larawan na 'yan, paumanhin po. No intention of disrespect."
"My wife loves to promote good looks and good health. Natatawa talaga ako," he continued.
In a statement, Binay said she's been "bothered" by what happened and said it's one that needs to be "closely looked into" as it involves various issues concerning the public.
"I’m not sure if the ethics committee can extend its jurisdiction dito sa nangyaring insidente since hindi naman member ng Senado si Ms. Mariel. But we also need to closely look into it because it involves issues of conduct, integrity, and reputation of the Institution, and matters that concern health and safety," Binay said.
The senator also expressed concern over the use of IV glutathione as even the Department of Health has declared it unsafe.
"Nakakabother lang dahil yung IV procedure was done inside the Senate premises na walang abiso mula sa clinic," she continued. "And to make it more complicated, 'yung gluta drip ay ni-declare na mismo ng DOH na unsafe, banned ng FDA, and it was administered outside the clinic without the proper medical advice from a licensed health professional."
Binay highlighted the importance of being aware of one's responsibilities as a public figure.
"As public figures, sana aware din tayo sa responsabilidad natin sa publiko. We might be promoting something na ipinagbabawal at iligal, at akala ng mga tao eh okey lang. Isipin din natin may kasamang kapanagutan ang pagiging artista, lalo na kung senador ang asawa mo," she said.
This comes after Mariel's now-deleted post about the drip session at the Senate office. She was there with her husband to support the "Eddie Garcia" bill, which was recently approved by the upper house on the third and final reading.
"Drip anywhere is our motto, hehehe," Mariel captioned the post. "I had an appointment with Drip in Luxe, but I was going to be late so I had it done in my husband's office. I never miss a drip because it really helps in so many ways."
She explained that its benefits include collagen production, whitening, energy, metabolism, immunity, and so much more, which is why she sees it as "so convenient and really effective."
In a separate Instagram reel that has also been deleted, she further expounded on why she conducted the treatment there. "Drip anywhere, kasi kailangan consistent tayo sa vitamins na nilalagay natin sa ating katawan and si Drip in Luxe really helped me with so many things, so hindi na ako sakitin, and I just feel so much better," she said.
An IV drip is a type of IV therapy where nutrients and hydration are delivered directly into the bloodstream for immediate absorption and use by the body through a plastic catheter inserted into the vein.