By: Jerod Orcullo
“Wala, wala sa’kin ang lahat, naka’y artista,” Letran Squires’ Daniel Padilla jokingly quipped.
Often catching attention on social media due to sharing a name with actor Daniel Padilla, Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s own Padilla has built his own reputation in the NCAA Season 100 Juniors’ Basketball Tournament.
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, Padilla admitted that he once felt embarrassed about his namesake when he was younger. However, over time, he has learned to embrace it, even as social media continues to draw comparisons between him and the celebrity.
“Ayun, syempre nakaka-apekto. Nung bata ako, nakaka-apekto siyempre sa’kin kasi nakakahiya eh. Nung bata ako, nakakahiya. Pero ngayon, parang nasasanay na lang ako kasi sa social media ganun, ang daming sinasabi sa’kin, siyempre parehas nga kami ng pangalan nung artista,” Padilla shared.
“Nung bata ako, naapektuhan pa ‘ko, parang nahihiya pa ‘ko sa court lalo na pag tinatawag yung pangalan ko. Ngayon, parang sanay na ‘ko eh.”
Now one of the senior leaders for the Squires, the 6-foot-1 guard from Duljo, Cebu has shown no hesitation in stepping up, especially after the departure of key players Jonathan Manalili and George Diamante following their championship run last season.
Padilla has been instrumental in Letran’s strong campaign, averaging 15.38 points, 3.75 rebounds, 1.63 assists, and 2.63 steals per game. His standout performance came in their sixth game of the season, where he torched San Sebastian College-Recoletos for a tournament-high 39 points on 7-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc, along with 10 rebounds, five steals, and an assist, leading Letran to a thrilling 88-84 comeback victory.
Despite being the focal point of the team, Padilla insists he feels no pressure in leading the Squires, crediting first-year head coach Willie Miller for giving him the confidence to embrace his role as the team’s go-to scorer.
“Sa’kin, siyempre, wala namang pressure, wala namang panibago sa’kin kasi si Coach Willie, ano naman sa’kin… Parang ang laki ng tiwala niya sa’kin na maging leader din sa court ‘tsaka sa labas ng court,” he said.
“Sa on the court, siyempre si Coach Willie, scorer din siya eh, katulad ko. Parehas kaming dalawa eh, so yung mga alam niya sa basketball, tinuturo niya sa’kin, sinasabihan niya ‘ko. Yung mga binabantayan ka ng maigi, siyempre wag kang mang-gigil.”
Now in his final season, Padilla has one goal in mind: to accomplish what Letran’s senior team recently fell short of — a historic three-peat.
“Mag-three-peat, syempre. Sobrang sarap kasi last year ko na din, at yun, once-in-a-lifetime na achievement,” he remarked.
Despite securing a strong position in the standings, Padilla emphasized that the team’s priority is to claim the top seed from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA. They will have a chance to do so when they face Perpetual on Monday, March 31, at 4:00 PM at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
“Sa’min, yung goal po namin maging number 1 po eh. Gusto namin talunin yung Perps kasi sila yung number 1. Yun yung goal po namin, syempre, number 1 ‘tsaka number 2, yun yung twice-to-beat eh,” he stated.
A victory would secure Letran one of the top two seeds and an outright Final Four berth. However, a loss could put them in a precarious position, as Mapúa, La Salle, San Beda, and Emilio Aguinaldo currently hold identical 5-3 records, each with one game left on their schedule.
With his final NCAA season on the line, Padilla is ready to carve out his own legacy — one that goes beyond just sharing a famous name.
