Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla clarified his recent remarks on communism after they drew various interpretations, stressing that his position remains against violence and armed struggle.
In a statement, Padilla said it is important to distinguish between the armed communist ideology promoted by Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong and the older concept of communal sharing, brotherhood, and equality among people.
According to the senator, Marxist-Leninist and Maoist ideologies led to armed revolutions, civil wars, and widespread violence in different parts of the world.
He said this was also the form of communism that reached the Philippines and became linked to more than five decades of armed conflict that claimed the lives of thousands of Filipinos, including young people who were recruited into the movement.
Padilla emphasized that this was not the type of communism he was referring to.
He explained that he was referring instead to the earlier concept of collective cooperation and equitable sharing of resources, which he said could be seen in the so-called Christian Communism practiced by early Christians and the Mu’akhat system established by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Madinah, where members of the community supported one another and shared resources as an expression of brotherhood.
“My position is against violence and armed struggle. What I am referring to is the spirit of brotherhood, compassion for others, and social justice that have long been practiced in early Christian and Muslim communities,” Padilla said.
The senator also maintained that his views do not conflict with his Islamic faith, his duties as a Philippine Army reservist, or his continued support for peace and the resolution of armed conflicts in the country.
For Padilla, genuine change cannot be achieved through violence but through unity, respect for life, and collective efforts among Filipinos to build a more just and peaceful society.