A lawmaker from the House of Representatives of the Philippines said the controversial video presented by Senator Imee Marcos during a Senate plenary session only deepened public distrust toward government officials because of what he described as unverified narratives contained in the material.
Jude Acidre said the presentation further damaged the image of the Senate, which has already been under scrutiny following recent controversies involving the chamber.
Acidre stressed that Senate plenary debates should be anchored on evidence and not used to spread “propaganda” or “reckless insinuations.”
“If this becomes normal, every public official can simply play a video, hint at a conspiracy and let social media do the damage before facts can catch up. That is political vandalism,” Acidre said.
The lawmaker added that using the Senate floor to present claims later subjected to scrutiny was “embarrassing” for the institution.
The video shown during Marcos’ privilege speech centered on an alleged Charter Change plot supposedly discussed privately by former Senate President Tito Sotto and House Speaker Faustino Dy to extend the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the terms of congressmen until 2031.
Several senators from the minority bloc questioned the claims raised in the video, saying the allegations lacked factual basis.
Following interpellations and a motion by Migz Zubiri to strike the video from the record, Marcos eventually withdrew the material from her speech.
Acidre, however, argued that withdrawing the video did not erase the damage caused by its public presentation during the Senate session.
He urged Marcos to take accountability for what he described as reckless use of her platform as a public official.
“Public office is powerful because words spoken from the floor carry the weight of the institution. Kaya kapag mali ang gamit ng platform, mas malaki ang damage, because fake narratives do not only attack individuals, they poison the public’s faith in democratic spaces,” he said.
