Showing of De Lima ‘sex video’ disrespectful, illegal – LP
Senator Leila de Lima’s colleagues in the Liberal Party (LP) vehemently opposed the House of Representatives’ plan to show her alleged sex scandal in its inquiry, saying it was “disrespectful, deplorable and illegal.”
READ: Coming soon at House: Sex, lies and videotape
“We vehemently oppose the plan of the House of Representatives to show the alleged videos as disrespectful, deplorable, and illegal,” the LP senators said in a joint statement on Thursday.
The joint statement was issued by Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon, vice chairman of LP, and Senators Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino.
“Regardless of the authenticity of the alleged videos, viewing it is disrespectful to a sitting senator, to her person, and to the office she holds, and is violative of the law,” the statement added.
The senators said showing De Lima’s alleged videos would be in violation of the following laws:
— Republic Act (RA) 9995 or the Anti-Voyeurism Law, which prohibits the recording or broadcast of videos of a sexual act, among others, with or without the consent of the persons featured in the material. Such recordings are also inadmissible even in legislative hearings.
— RA 4200 or the Anti Wiretapping, which prohibits and penalizes the playing of recordings of any private communication without the consent of those involved. Such recordings are also inadmissible as evidence even in legislative hearings.
—Revised Penal Code on Crimes against Honor: Slander by Deed which is by performing an act intended to cast dishonor, disrespect, or contempt upon a person, or incriminatory machinations, which may either be incriminating an innocent person in the commission of a crime by planting evidence or intriguing against honor by resorting to any scheme, plot, design, but not by direct spoken words, to destroy the reputation of another.
“We appeal to the members of House of Representatives to be more circumspect of our larger roles as legislators: safekeepers of governance traditions and examples to our children,” the LP senators added.
It was Senator Grace Poe who questioned the legality of playing the videos supposedly to prove De Lima’s relationship with former driver Ronnie Dayan, who had allegedly collected drug money for her at the New Bilibid Prison.
“I have reservations about the legality of the playing of alleged sex video, which will violate the very law that Congress passed,” Poe said Wednesday, also citing the Anti-Voyeurism Law.
“It will serve no legal and practical purpose as the law makes such unlawful act of showing inadmissible in evidence in any judicial, quasi-judicial, legislative or administrative hearing or investigation,” she added. CDG/rga
READ: Showing of De Lima sex videos is illegal, Poe warns House
