Pimentel cautions solons on playing sex video: Be sensitive, be ready to pay political price

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III on Wednesday advised congressmen to be “sensitive” and “ready to pay the political price” amid plans to show Senator Leila de Lima’s alleged sex tape in a public House committee hearing.

“As Senate President, a reminder to all fellow legislators and lawmakers to be responsible for our actions, be sensitive to the sensibilities, feelings and the effect of our actions on the reputation of our fellow legislator,” Pimentel said.

“But if they should do some reckless action, be ready to pay the political price,” he added.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said he sees nothing wrong if the alleged sex video involving De Lima would be played during the House inquiry on the alleged proliferation of drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Alvarez said the video should be shown only if it would help establish De Lima's personal relationships with people who could be behind the NBP drug trade.

"Para sa akin ano, wala namang diperensiya na ipanood iyan para malaman ng tao kung totoo iyan o hindi," Alvarez told reporters, adding he has not yet seen the supposed video.

For his part, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, chair of the justice committee that is conducting the drug-related probe, said his committee should first be convinced that showing the video would serve the purpose of the inquiry, which is to aid legislation.

Senate President Pro-tempore Franklin Drilon, a party mate of De Lima, said he intends to call on Pimentel to meet with Alvarez regarding the matter.

“To me, inter-parliamentary courtesy would call for respect and courtesy to a fellow legislator,” Drilon said.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, for his part, called the House committee’s plan “foul.”

“Whether totoo o hindi, di dapat tayo bababa sa ganyang standards. Kung gusto nila i-demean pagkatao ni Sec. De Lima, sobra sobra na yan. Di dapat ginagawa yan,” Trillanes said.

De Lima earlier said that playing a sex video in a congressional proceeding or before a court is against the law.

“Alam niyang labag sa batas ‘yan kung meron mang ganyang video. Please, stop. Pwede ba, tigilan na ninyo talaga ako,” De Lima said.

She had also denied insinuations that she had sexual relations with her former driver Ronnie Dayan, and inmate Jaybee Sebastian. Sebastian, according to De Lima, was a government asset. — RSJ, GMA News