Robin’s actress-aide on leave amid probe
Sen. Robin Padilla has asked actress Nadia Montenegro to take a leave of absence from her duties in his staff after she was accused of smoking marijuana inside the Senate premises.
Padilla’s chief of staff, Rudolf Philip Jurado, said “she was directed to take a leave of absence, effective immediately,” after an internal Senate probe implicated her in the incident.
“On August 13, 2025, even before the investigation conducted by the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, the office commenced an initial internal investigation regarding media reports allegedly linking Ms. Nadia Montenegro,” Jurado said in a statement.
“On the same day, she was directed to take a leave of absence, effective immediately,” he added.
Jurado, a lawyer, said Montenegro was given five days, or until Aug. 18, to submit her written explanation regarding the incident.
In the statement, Jurado appeared to suggest that Montenegro’s alleged involvement was only claimed in media reports.
But lawyer Renato Bantug Jr., the elected secretary of the Senate, said that was the finding in the investigation report that Senate sergeant at arms, retired police Maj. Gen. Mao Aplasca, submitted on Aug. 14 and that Padilla’s office was provided a copy.
Probe report submitted
In the report, Senate security employees complained of the smell of marijuana emanating from the fifth-floor ladies’ comfort room near the senators’ extension office on two occasions.
On the second occasion, again upon the complaint of Senate employees, security personnel found that only Montenegro was in the ladies’ room at that time. She denied smoking marijuana, but admitted she had a vape device in her possession.
Senate President Francis Escudero has made no comment on the matter, but at least two senators have expressed outrage at the use of marijuana in the Senate.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Saturday that he will require his entire team, including himself, to undergo a drug test to help “anchor the chamber’s standards on conduct that fits its role as a lawmaking body.”
“This coming week, I will subject my office to drug testing. I will definitely test them all,” Zubiri said in an interview on a radio interview on Saturday. “I will mandatorily ask my staff, to take drug testing, including me.”
Zubiri welcomed the call of Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to revive the random drug testing among Senate employees.
“I encourage all the other offices, all the other senators, to do the same,” Zubiri said, emphasizing that “lawmakers should not be lawbreakers.”
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also proposed on Friday that the Senate fire any employee who is proven to have used illegal drugs inside its building.
“This is embarrassing for the Senate. We should be setting a good example for the people,” Gatchalian said in Filipino in a Viber message.
“The investigation should also be concluded so we can find out what really happened and who used illegal drugs. Once the person responsible is identified, they should be removed from the Senate,” Gatchalian added.
