Padilla defends hand gesture during SONA
SENATOR Robinhood Padilla got online attention for his hand gesture during the singing of the National Anthem before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his second State of the Nation Address last Monday.
Padilla explained that the controversial hand gesture was a show of his Islamic faith, adding he is willing to “resign” from his political post than allow someone to tell him he cannot practice his faith.
Padilla , in a meeting with visitors from Malaysia, explained: “I always do the ‘Kalima La ilaha ilalan’ with my hand here. Why can’t you do that? I would rather resign than somebody telling me I cannot (practice) my faith.”
He added that the hand gesture asserts “oneness of God.”
