Camille Naredo

Sen. Robinhood Padilla attends the  Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing  on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on September 23, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Sen. Robinhood Padilla attends the  Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing  on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on September 23, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

SENATE PROBE- FLOOD CONTROL ANOMALIES

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177080295413920250923-senate-probe-flood-control-padilla-marcoleta-JC3752.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Sen. Robinhood Padilla attends the  Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing  on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on September 23, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sen. Robinhood Padilla attends the  Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing  on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on September 23, 2025. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Senator Robinhood Padilla described today’s youth as “weak,” saying during his time, depression was not a common word.</p><p>Padilla made the statement during Wednesday’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on the Children&#x27;s Safety in Social Media Act.</p><p>“Ang mga bata po ngayon, sad to say, huwag kayong magagalit sakin, nako maraming batang magagalit siguro pero pasensya na kayo, you are weak. Hindi kayo katulad nung panahon namin na hindi kami iyakin. Natuto kami, natuto kami sa kalsada, natuto kami na huwag umupo, umiyak,” Padilla said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2026/2/11/meta-urged-to-take-down-deepfake-of-marcos-act-swiftly-on-fake-and-malicious-posts-1443"><strong>Meta urged to take down deepfake of Marcos, act swiftly on fake and malicious posts </strong></a> </div><p>“Nung panahon namin hindi uso yung salitang depression. Hindi ko nga alam yun eh, kung ano yung depression. Ngayon batang maliit, sasabihin I&#x27;m depressed. Magulo eh. Kaya sana po pag-usapan po natin ito,” he added.   </p><p>Padilla recalled how the youth spent their time in the 80s and 90s.</p><p>“Siguro naman iba dito, &#x27;di ko man kaedad ay naranasan niyo yung panahon ng 90s, 80s, na tayo ay mga naglalaro pa sa kalsada. Tayo ay masaya pa, alam pa natin kung ano ang camping, alam pa natin kung ano yung pakikipagkaibigan, alam pa natin kung ano ang kalsada,” he said. </p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NmecXlK4O-E?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>The lawmaker mentioned that some senators like himself are inclined to regulate or ban social media, with his bill pushing for an age limit of 16.</p><p>According to the company Meta, owner and operator of Facebook, they are aware of the concerns and have launched what they call teen accounts which have additional security features.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/3/padilla-to-support-senate-lead-change-if-impeachment-vs-sara-passes-at-house-1744"><strong>Padilla to support Senate lead change if impeachment vs Sara passes at House</strong></a></div><p>“We have been in discussion with parents, with governments, with stakeholders. We understand that there is a need to address this concern,” said Berni Moestafa, Meta’s Head of Public Policy in Indonesia and the Philippines. </p><p>The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said it is a balancing of interests.</p><p>“The best weapon that I have when combating scams, misinformation, disinformation, is an informed citizenry. Now if you take away the children from the platforms where they usually listen to, that might pose a problem po, Mr. Chair, about how we reach our children when it comes to combatting the same evils that we’re trying to fight today,” said CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Renato Paraiso. </p><p>He added that it would be good for the Philippines to learn from countries which failed to implement their respective resolutions regulating or banning social media.</p>

<p>Senator Robinhood Padilla described today’s youth as “weak,” saying during his time, depression was not a common word.</p>

Senator Robinhood Padilla described today’s youth as “weak,” saying during his time, depression was not a common word.

Padilla calls today’s youth ‘weak,’ warns of effects of social media

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Padilla calls today’s youth ‘weak,’ warns of effects of social media

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 11, 2026 05:45 PM PHT

|

Updated February 12, 2026 01:41 AM PHT

Read More:

Robin Padilla

Youth

Weak

Depression

Social media

Meta

Facebook

Philippine Senate

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