Sen. Robin Padilla has sparked discussion on social media after sharing a throwback video featuring Joshua Garcia, whose recent social media activity has placed him at the center of online debate.
The clip came from the 2017 romantic comedy film ‘Unexpectedly Yours’, which starred Padilla, Garcia, Sharon Cuneta, and Julia Barretto. In the scene, Padilla’s character talks to Garcia’s character about his apparent crush on Barretto’s role.
Padilla shared the video on his social media page with the brief caption: “Unexpectedly Yours.”
His wife, television host Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla, also reacted to the post, leaving several green heart emojis in the comments.
The timing of the upload prompted speculation among some netizens, as Garcia has recently been trending online following allegations that he supports Vice President Sara Duterte. The issue stemmed from an alleged repost and reaction on TikTok to a video about Duterte’s impeachment trial, as well as screenshots showing that the actor had been following Duterte and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Instagram.
Some social media users interpreted Padilla’s post as a gesture of support for Garcia, while others believed it was simply a nostalgic reference to their previous film together. Padilla did not provide any explanation linking the upload to the controversy.
Among the comments were users who jokingly connected the throwback clip to the ongoing online discussion surrounding Garcia’s alleged political leanings, while others pointed out Padilla’s long-known support for former President Rodrigo Duterte and the Duterte family.
The controversy surrounding Garcia continued after netizens noticed that Vice President Duterte and Cayetano were no longer included in the actor’s Instagram following list, fueling speculation that he had unfollowed both officials following the backlash.
As of writing, Joshua Garcia has not personally addressed the controversy or commented on Padilla’s post. His management has likewise yet to issue an official statement regarding the matter.
