Mariel’s gluta drip session at Senate ‘bothersome’ – Binay

Senator Nancy Binay on Friday said the intravenous (IV) glutathione drip session of Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla, wife of Senator Robin Padilla, inside the latter’s office in the Senate is “bothersome.”

In a statement, Binay said there is a need to “closely look” into the incident as the matter also concerns not only the reputation of the Senate but also health and safety.

“I'm not sure if the Ethics Committee can extend its jurisdiction to this particular incident since Ms. Mariel is not a member of the Senate, but we also need to closely look into it because it involves issues of conduct, integrity, and reputation of the institution and matters that concern health and safety,” she said.

“It was just bothersome because the IV procedure was done inside the Senate premises without notifying the clinic,” she added.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, Rodriguez-Padilla shared photos of her receiving the said treatment inside the office of her husband.

The social media post earned the ire of the netizens.

Binay also flagged the serious health risks of receiving IV glutathione, which the Department of Health previously labeled as “unsafe.”

“And to make it more complicated, the gluta drip was declared by the DOH as unsafe, banned by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], and it was administered outside the clinic without the proper medical advice from a licensed health professional,” she said.

The lady lawmaker said as public figures, they should be “aware” of their responsibilities.

“We might be promoting something that is prohibited and illegal. People might think it is okay,” she said.

“Let us think that being a celebrity also comes with responsibilities, especially since your husband is a senator,” she added.

Earlier in the day, Padilla defended his wife from criticisms, stressing that she did not intend to disrespect the institution.

“It’s funny. It has become a political issue. My goodness. If they found anything wrong with the picture, I apologize,” he said in Filipino, referring to the now-deleted Instagram post.

“No intention of disrespect. My wife loves to promote good looks and good health. I really find it funny,” he added.

In a deleted post, Rodriguez-Padilla explained that she decided to get the treatment at her husband’s office to avoid getting late for the appointment.

“Drip anywhere is our motto! Hehehe [laughing crying emoji] I had an appointment with @dripinluxeph but I was going to be late so I had it done in my husband’s office hehe I never miss a drip because it really helps in soooo many ways [hand heart emoji],” the caption read.

Padilla married Rodriguez in 2010.