Rommel Cariño Padilla (Tagalog pronunciation: [paˈdilja]; born January 4, 1965) is a Filipino actor, model, businessman, politician, and movie producer.
Lucia, Pasig, Padilla and his flight steward friend Frederick Luna were arrested by East Police District-Drug Enforcement Unit.
The lawmen searched his car and found in the passenger seat the .22 Magnum machine pistol that caused them to charge him of illegal possession of firearms.
Padilla told police he was on his way to shoot scenes for his upcoming movie Dimas at Magdalena in that night when they stopped by the store.
Luna's defending lawyer Rene Saquisag stressed his client's innocence by stating that the arresting policemen had "planted" the evidence against them.
[6] On May 20, 1998, Judge Esperanza Fabon-Victorino of the Pasig Regional Trial Court convicted and sentenced Padilla to 8 years imprisonment at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
He went into hiding after the fact but eventually surrendered on June 2, 1998 accompanied by his younger brother Robin Padilla and fellow actor George Estregan.
[15][16] In the 2022 national elections, Padilla, ran under PDP–Laban, and his another opponent, former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office chief Alexander Balutan, were both defeated by outgoing Rep. Estrellita's daughter, Mika Suansing.