Long live the bad boy

MANILA, Philippines - Much has been said about the legendary Bad Boy of Philippine cinema but it is not easy to describe the enigma of his presence, the longevity of his career and his magnetism towards the opposite sex. One can always conclude the attraction towards “bad boys,” but it is more than that. Robin Padilla is Robin Padilla, he who has transcended “bad boy” image and blew it into legendary proportions. A true-blue character, yes. Larger than life, indeed.

In one of the few run-ins this writer has ever had with the Bad Boy, Robin walks into a bar for an event, a rare occasion in whatever world, sits down and the girls swoon. Uncontrollably. He gets their camera and asks me to take the photo. I, the willing cameraman happy to see the girls happy, oblige and take multiple shots that I know will be the girls’ profile pics in their social media accounts for a long time. Beside Robin was Ruffa Gutierrez, who in turn asks Robin what his secret for looking young is. You see, Robin has more endorsements — from beverages to vitamins to motoring vehicles, name it — versus leading men 20 years his junior. If that’s not power, I don’t know what is.

To answer Ruffa’s question. Robin, without batting an eyelash goes, “Sex every day,” in the same note as he did “Liver lover!” in one of his many TV commercials. He believed in it, and we had no doubts he practiced it too. Here was a man, the epitome of virility, telling us about what keeps him young, and it shows. This is, of course outside the obvious known facts — his faith in his god Allah, his religious practice of yoga, his devotion to his wife Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla, his love for his kids and his concern for the plight for the people of Mindanao, for peace and equality for his Muslims brother, and world peace. In short, there is more than meets the eye for this so-called Bad Boy.

This Supreme shoot has long been on our wish lists and due to the eclectic nature of Robin Padilla’s schedule, took longer than usual. Better late in glitzbiz parlance, and if we may share, during the shoot, the Bad Boy became a boy and was engrossed in his own costumes, he even brought his own costumes and props, wig and all. Robin pictured himself as a modern day Che Guevarra, a rebel with a definite cause. Photographer Raymund Isaac was more than happy to oblige to capture the action of the country’s foremost action star. Action. Star. Two words that aptly describe THE Robin Padilla, a man whose star shines brighter because of his actions.

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(More action by following me on twitter.com/officialTIMYAP and The Tim Yap Show, Mondays thru Fridays at midnight on GMA7.)

Photo by RAYMUND ISAAC, Sittings by DAVID MILAN, Styled by SIDNEY YAP, Grooming by JING MONIS