Padilla’s chief of staff, Atty. Rudolf Philip Jurado, confirmed on Monday that her resignation has been accepted.
“Today, we received the written explanation and letter of resignation of Ms. Nadia Montenegro. Her resignation has been accepted,” Jurado said in a statement.
In her explanation letter, Montenegro clarified that she was resigning “effective immediately” for the sake of her mental health and her children’s welfare, stressing that her decision should not be seen as an admission of guilt.
“My decision to resign should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt—it is not. Rather, it is a demonstration of my deep respect for the Senate and Senator Padilla’s office, so that this issue does not cause further distraction or harm,” Montenegro said.
“To prevent this baseless issue from growing any further, I would rather remove myself from the spotlight and allow the Senate to focus on its important work.”
The resignation comes after the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) submitted a report on August 13 citing an “unusual odor” suspected to be marijuana smoke coming from a ladies’ comfort room on the 5th floor near the senators’ extension offices. A Senate staff member reportedly identified Montenegro in the incident.
Montenegro, however, denied the allegation. In her letter, she said she did not use the ladies’ restroom but the PWD comfort room before leaving the Senate on August 12. She added that she even showed a security guard her grape-flavored vape to dispel suspicion.
“Thus, if said alleged unusual scent which resembled marijuana came from the ladies’ comfort room, then it should not be attributed to me,” she wrote.
She also urged investigators to review CCTV footage from the Senate premises to disprove the allegations.
“These claims have caused great pain and distress to me and my family. It is deeply hurtful to see my name and reputation tarnished and destroyed by a story that is simply not true. Me and my children do not deserve this! No one deserves this,” Montenegro stressed.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero earlier ordered a probe into the matter. Padilla’s office also began its own investigation, with Jurado saying that Montenegro had initially been placed on leave while proceedings were ongoing.
Montenegro held the position of Political Affairs Officer VI, which, according to Jurado, primarily involved fieldwork and coordination during Padilla’s official events.
