MARAHIL ay inspired sa natamo ng kapwa aktor na si Matteo Guidicelli, nakatakda ring sumapi ang action star na si Robin Padilla sa militar bilang reserve officer ng Philippine Army (PA).

Ipinahayag ni Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, Army public affairs chief, na pormal nang nagsumite ng kanyang aplikasyon si Robin sa Philippine Army headquarters sa Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City nitong nakaraang Miyerkules.

"He aired his intention last June and he went to the Philippine Army to formally file Wednesday last week as an enlisted personnel," lahad ni Zagala nang kapanayamin ng mga mamamahayag sa telepono nitong Lunes.

Nitong Linggo, dumalo si Robin sa "Youth Empowerment for Preventing-Countering Violent Extremism" youth assembly sa headquarters ng 11th Infantry "Alakdan" Division (8ID) sa Sulu.

Dinaluhan si Robin ng ni Army Reserve Probationary 2nd Lieutenant Guidicelli at iba pang Army officers.

Sinabi ni Zagala na kuwalipikado si Robin, na nakakumpleto na ng kanyang Reserved Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) class –pangunahing  kuwalipikasyon para maging isang Army reserve, kahit na hinatulan ng kasong illegal possession of firearms ang aktor noong 1994.

Sinentensyahan si Robin ng aabot sa 21 taong pagkakakulong ngunit nakalaya siya noong 1997 nang garantiyahan siya ni Pangulong Fidel Ramos ng conditional pardon. Noong 2016, ginarantiyahan naman siya ni Pangulong Duterte ng absolute pardon kaya tuluyan nang nanumbalik ang kanyang political at civil rights.

Lahad ni Zagala, ayon sa Section 10 of the Republic Act 7077, hindi lamang magiging kuwalipikado ang isang indibiduwal na maging Army reservist kung nahatulan ito ng kasong kriminal “including moral turpitude”.

"Based on what he is convicted of, his conviction is not including moral turpitude. It is a special law which is illegal possession of firearms. 'Yun ang kanyang violation and it's a special law and it's not in the Revised Penal Code," paliwanag ni Zagala.

"Ang hindi lang ina-allow sa reserve force are those convicted of [crimes involving] moral turpitude such as slander, rape and the likes," sabi pa nito.

Ang moral turpitude ay inilarawan sa Black Law's Dictionary “as acts which are done contrary to justice, modesty or good morals.”

Kabilang sa mga krimeng ito ang bigamy, concubinage, smuggling, rape, estafa, robbery, murder, theft, perjury, forgery, direct bribery at frustrated homicide at iba pa.

Dagdag pa, sinabi ni Zagala na ang justice system sa bansa "is not punitive" at sumailalim na si Robin sa rehabilitasyon.

"Our criminal justice system is not punitive. It is reformative and rehabilitive. Therefore, he [Padilla] is qualified because of that policy ng justice system na you reform and rehabilitate," aniya.

"We cannot discriminate those who want to serve the country because it is already noted that they have gone through the process of rehabilitation," sabi pa ni Zagala.

Kung makapapasa si Robin mahigpit na Army training, sinabi ni Zagala na ang aktor ay magiging peace advocate ng mga kabataang Muslim sa Mindanao.

"We want, if Robin could help us, to urge Muslims to gear away from terrorism, gear away from extremism. Robin will be an ambassador towards youth development especially to our young Muslims. [He] is a Muslim so he will be able to connect to our Muslim youths," sabi pa ni Zagala.

-Martin A. Sadongdong