Kylie Padillaโs off-the-cuff line turned into a headline faster than she expected. During a public appearance tied to her film โThe Lotto Winner,โ the actress was asked about talk that her father, Sen. Robin Padilla, could be pushed to run for vice president in 2028โand she laughed, saying: โAalis na ako ng Pilipinas.โ The joke landed online like a political statement, forcing Kylie to step in and reframe what she meant before it could be weaponized.
The context matters: Robin has said he would consider a higher run if former President Rodrigo Duterte personally asked him to, and that speculation is now unfolding against a volatile political backdropโDuterte is currently detained in The Hague facing crimes against humanity charges linked to his drug war, while VP Sara Duterte has already announced her intent to run for president in 2028. In that environment, even a joking answer from a celebrity daughter becomes easy ammunition.
Kylieโs follow-up was the real message. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, she posted an Instagram Stories clarification: she said she only meant sheโd leave because she wants a quiet, peaceful life, and stressed her remark was not meant to insult her fatherโadding she trusts his judgment and recognizes the โgoodโ she believes he is doing for the country. She also emphasized that wanting a calmer personal life is her right, not a referendum on her dadโs politics.
She doubled down on that stance in a separate Facebook post, urging people not to twist her words into an anti-Robin narrative: she said she admires him, loves him, and wants him safeโwhile making it clear sheโs not volunteering to be a political proxy in the publicโs fight. As of the report, Robin Padilla had not responded.
Image from kylienicolepadilla IG

