De Lima party-mates say showing of alleged sex tape 'deplorable'

Liberal Party (LP) senators on Thursday said it would be “disrespectful” and “deplorable” for the House of Representatives to show the alleged sex video of Senator Leila de Lima in a committee hearing.

In a joint statement, Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon, and Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV expressed their opposition to the plan of the lower House to show the video.

“We vehemently oppose the plan of the House of Representatives to show the alleged videos as disrespectful, deplorable, and illegal,” their statement read.

De Lima, whose senatorial campaign was allegedly funded in part by convicted drug lords, is an LP member.

“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 LP senators said.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said he sees nothing wrong if the alleged sex video of De Lima and her former driver and alleged lover, Ronnie Dayan, 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.

But the LP senators said congressmen should “be more circumspect of our larger roles as legislators: safekeepers of governance traditions and examples to our children.”

The senators said showing the video would violate several laws, including the Anti-Voyeurism Law, Anti Wiretapping Law, and the Revised Penal Code on Crimes against Honor.

Republic Act (RA) 9995 or the Anti-Voyeurism Law 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,” the lawmakers pointed out.

RA 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping Law, meanwhile, prohibits and penalizes the playing of recordings of any private communication without the consent of those involved.

Slander by Deed, which is by performing an act intended to cast dishonor, disrespect, or contempt upon a person, and incriminatory machinations, are also punishable under the Revised Penal Code, the senators said.

Female colleagues of De Lima in the Senate had earlier slammed the plan of the House of Representatives, saying it was “illegal” and an “case of misogyny.”

De Lima earlier denied the existence of such video and her supposed sexual relations with Dayan. She had also denied allegations of receiving drug payoffs during her term as secretary of the Department of Justice. —KBK, GMA News