Senator and action icon Robin Padilla has made his choice clear: he wants to pass on the legendary title ‘The Bad Boy of Philippine Cinema’ to his nephew, Kapamilya superstar Daniel Padilla.
The announcement came during Robin’s contract signing with Viva Films on Friday, November 22, where he formalized a five-picture deal marking his full return to showbiz.
“Kay Daniel ko siyempre gusto pamana,” Robin said, referring to Daniel’s standout performance in the ABS-CBN action series ‘Incognito’.
According to the senator, DJ’s natural swagger makes him the ideal heir to the title.
“Natural angas sa kanya. Dapat natural, eh. ‘Pag inutos lang kasi ng direktor, medyo may kalungkutan ‘yon,” he explained.
Robin joked that in the past, Daniel had other priorities.
“Noong panahon sinasabi ko, in love pa siya, eh. Pag-ibig pa priority. Gumawa siya ‘Incognito’, may chance na ngayon,” he said.
Robin clarified that he himself was not the original “Bad Boy.”
The title originated with Jose Padilla Jr., passed to Joseph Estrada, then to Ace Vergel, before finally landing on Robin.
He recalled his unforgettable encounter with Ace Vergel when he was first tapped to take on the mantle.
“Parating ako ng Viva, pagbukas ng gate—andoon si Alas (Ace), nakatayo inaabangan ako. Paglapit ko, hinarangan ako talaga. Sabi, ‘Ikaw ba si Robin Padilla? Pinsan mo ba si Daboy (Rudy Fernandez)? Buti na lang pinsan mo. Sige ikaw na bad boy!’”
Robin said he hopes to continue that tradition by ceremonially “passing the title” to the next chosen actor.
“Gusto ko ‘pag dumating ‘yung panahon, kung sino maging Bad Boy, may eksena na ipasa ko. Ganu’n ‘yon, di ba?”
Robin is officially back in action mode as Viva gears up for the release of ‘Bad Boy 3,’ the third installment of his iconic 1990s franchise.
“Masaya at excited” is how Robin described his comeback, revealing that Bad Boy 3—directed by Enzo Williams—is already completed and set to land on Netflix soon. Viva will also re-release several of his classic films across various platforms, including ‘Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo’, ‘Sa Ngalan ng Ama, Ina at Anak’, ‘10,000 Hours’, ‘Turn: My Pledge of Love’, and ‘Alab ng Lahi’.
According to his manager, Betchay Vidanes, ‘Bad Boy 4’ is already in the drawing board—and this time, it will finally pair Robin with Daniel in one film.
Robin expressed deep gratitude to Viva’s CEO Vic del Rosario, whom he considers his “showbiz father.”
“Si Boss Vic ang gumawa sa akin bilang si Robin Padilla. Hindi ko naman siguro ito mararating kung hindi dahil sa kanya at sa Viva,” he said.
