‘Embarrassing’: Solon minces no words on Imee Marcos’ ‘video stunt’

An embarrassing moment for the Senate. That's how Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre described the events in Senate plenary on Monday, May 25 when Senator Imee Marcos presented a video alleging a Charter change (Cha-cha) plot in Congress amid the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Acidre framed the "video stunt" as a warning sign of how political discourse was "being dragged down by propaganda dressed up as legislative debate". “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. When a senator uses the floor to amplify material that collapses under scrutiny, that is embarrassing for the institution she represents,” said the congressman, who refused to mince words. “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 added. Senator Marcos withdrew the video after senators objected to its presentation. The belief is that the material linked administration figures to alleged constitutional assembly moves. As such, it was criticized by minority senators as a “propaganda tool” and “fake news". Acidre agreed with this take. “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," he said. "The Senate deserves argument, evidence and statesmanship, not content designed for outrage,” he stressed. Senators recently convened as an impeachment court for the case of the respondent, Duterte. The actual trial is expected to begin in July, with Senator Marcos and her 23 colleagues set to act as "senator-judges". Acidre said the controversy should concern...