Senate OKs resolution vs. showing of De Lima ‘sex tape’

The Senate on Tuesday adopted a resolution that sought to oppose plans of showing an alleged sex video of Senator Leila de Lima in the ongoing congressional probe on the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary.

Senate Resolution No. 184, introduced by Senator Risa Hontiveros along with Senators Nancy Binay, Grace Poe and Cynthia Villar, was unanimously approved during the plenary session headed by Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III.

The resolution expresses "the sense of the Senate" saying that the proposal to show De Lima's alleged sex video is "illegal, violative of inter-parliamentary courtesy and decency, and an affront to women's dignity."

The senators argued that showing the video will violate the Anti-Photo or Video Voyeurism Act of 2009 and the Anti Wiretapping Law.

"Most importantly, it is a blow to our collective struggle to uplift the dignity of the woman, respect her agency and her autonomy over her own body, and is a form of slut-shaming that will not set a good example for the country," the resolution said.

In her privilege speech, Hontiveros said the resolution addresses “the systemic and structural machismo that pervades our political culture."

"If we stand by in silence while our colleagues in the House perpetrate this indignity against a fellow senator, we have chosen vulgarity over civility, misogyny over basic respect and decency," she said.

De Lima turned emotional, as she expressed her gratitude to her colleagues.

Pimentel, for his part, said the alleged sex video does not exist.

“Actually, I believe that there is no video. There is no actual video. Some have shown me a video but it does not involve any member of the Senate. It is a sex video but it does not involve a member of the Senate,” he said.

Pimentel said House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has also assured him that no sex video will be shown at the resumption of the congressional probe. —KBK, GMA News