NEWSFLASH

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FVR IS MY HERO -- ROBIN PADILLA

National Penitentiary, Muntinglupa City, Dec. 8, 1997 - Movie actor Robin Padilla, serving time inside the New Bilibid Penitentiary, said he is a fan of President Fidel Ramos and would go all out to campaign for the president should FVR seek the presidency anew.

Padilla said he will not support any of the presidential candidates, but only the president if he himself runs.

Known as the movie industry's real-life "bad boy" because of his ways with women, drugs, cars and guns, Padilla was jailed for illegal possession of firearms and will be eligible for parole soon.

Robin told a group of visiting broadcast journalists that once he is released from jail, the first thing he will do is to fulfill one of the teachings of Islam by going on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Robin converted to Islam shortly after he entered the penitentiary. He also married his live-in partner and mother of his three daughters, Leizl Sycangco, in Muslim rites inside Muntinglupa.

Since his conversion, Robin has been a spiritual leader and prime mover of the anti-drugs campaign inside the prison.

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