Sen. Padilla clarifies viral finger gesture as Islamic expression

Senator Robin Padilla clarified that a viral video showing him supposedly flashing his middle finger during the singing of the Philippine national anthem in the Senate was actually his index finger, a sacred Islamic expression.

He explained that the gesture signifies the oneness of God in Islam and that he would rather die than disrespect his faith or the Philippine flag.

Padilla shared a photo from another angle during a Facebook Live session to further illustrate his point and urged the public not to believe "fake news" about the incident.

His wife, Mariel Padilla, also defended him on Facebook, explaining the gesture as his recitation of the Kalima and citing Republic Act No. 8491, asserting that no law was broken and emphasizing his patriotism.