A senior leader in the House of Representatives criticized Sen. Imee Marcos over her withdrawn Senate video presentation on an alleged Charter change plot, calling the move an embarrassment to the chamber and a dangerous use of public office for unverified claims.
He said the Senate floor, which should be reserved for evidence-based debate and policymaking, should not be used to amplify material built on innuendo, edited narratives, or political spectacle.
“Sen. Imee Marcos managed to do something worse than weaken her own argument: she reminded the public why many Filipinos are tired of politics built on intrigue, edited narratives and reckless insinuations,” House Committee on Higher and Technical Education chair Jude Acidre remarked.
“When a senator uses the floor to amplify material that collapses under scrutiny, that is embarrassing for the institution she represents,” he added.
Marcos withdrew the video after several senators objected to its presentation. Reports said the material linked administration figures to alleged constitutional assembly efforts and was criticized by minority senators as a “propaganda tool” and “fake news.”
He warned that allowing such tactics to become part of legislative proceedings could encourage public officials to spread conspiracy-laden material under the cover of privilege speeches.
“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,” he said.
He said the controversy should concern the public beyond the personalities involved because statements and materials presented on the Senate floor carry institutional weight and can shape public perception.
“This is everything that has gone wrong in Philippine politics: chismis dressed as privilege speech, propaganda passed off as evidence and colleagues dragged into a storyline without the discipline of proof,” Acidre said.
“The Senate deserves argument, evidence and statesmanship, not content designed for outrage,” he added.
The legislator said a privilege speech must serve accountability, not become a platform for unverified narratives that can damage reputations and deepen distrust in democratic institutions.
“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.
While he welcomed the withdrawal of the video, Acidre said the decision did not erase the damage caused by presenting it in the first place.
“Withdrawal is welcome, but accountability does not end when the video is pulled back. You cannot throw mud inside the Senate, withdraw the bucket and then pretend the floor is clean,” he said.
He pointed out that the incident showed the need for public officials to reject performative politics and preserve legislative spaces for truth, lawmaking, and responsible scrutiny.
“Our politics needs less fake news and more truth, less ambush by insinuation and more work that actually helps people. Sen. Imee owes the Senate, her colleagues and the public a higher standard than what we saw,” he said.