Playing De Lima 'sex video' is illegal, Gabriela warns House

MANILA – The plan of some administration allies to show a purported sex video of Senator Leila de Lima at a congressional inquiry into the alleged Bilibid drug trade would be a violation of the law, a party-list group dedicated to upholding women's rights said Thursday.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II argued Wednesday that the video will establish De Lima’s alleged affair with her former driver, Ronnie Dayan, who allegedly extracted drug-tainted money from convicted crime lords when the senator was still justice secretary.

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But the Gabriela Women's Party cited the Anti Voyeurism Law which penalizes “the act of broadcasting, through any device, photos, videos or recording of sexual acts.”

“No man, woman or child, no matter how justified the case is presented for such proposals, deserve to be subjected to the prospect of one’s private affairs exposed,” Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus added.

De Jesus also argued that playing the video will serve no purpose at all.

“Showing of the video muddles the issues central to the investigations into the links between government officials and the drug trade.

"Congressional hearings should focus its probe on the salient pieces of evidence that will point to the involvement of drug lords and government officials in the illegal drug trade,” De Jesus said.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has given a go signal for the House committee on justice to play the video on its next hearing.

“Tinanong ako kahapon, kung saka-sakali lang na may mag-presenta niyan, papayagan ko bang ilabas ito sa committee [I was asked yesterday, if ever someone will present the video, would I allow it to be shown to the committee]," he told radio DZMM.

"Sabi ko, wala namang problema, kung sa pagpalabas noon ay may makuha tayong katotohanan [I said there’s no problem with that, if by showing it we’ll get the truth], so be it."

De Lima has repeatedly denied allegations against her, and has even dared President Rodrigo Duterte to just have her arrested.

source:abscbn