THE withdrawal of Sen. Imee Marcos’ video presentation in the Senate should leave a harder question for the institution: how did a chamber built for sober debate become a stage for a political tactic rooted in innuendo, spectacle, and reckless insinuation?
House Committee on Higher and Technical Education chair Jude Acidre said Marcos’ use of a video alleging a Charter change (Cha-cha) plot was an embarrassment to the Senate and a warning sign of how political discourse is 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,” Acidre said.
“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.
Marcos withdrew the video after senators objected to its presentation, with reports saying the material linked administration figures to alleged constitutional assembly moves and was criticized by minority senators as a “propaganda tool” and “fake news.”
“This is everything that has gone wrong in Philippine politics: chismis dressed as a privilege speech, propaganda passed off as evidence and colleagues dragged into a storyline without the discipline of proof. The Senate deserves argument, evidence and statesmanship, not content designed for outrage,” Acidre stressed.
Acidre said the controversy should concern citizens beyond the personalities involved because a privilege speech is supposed to be a tool for accountability, not a shield for unverified narratives that can injure reputations and inflame public distrust.
“Public office is powerful because words spoken from the floor carry the weight of the institution. Kaya kapag mali ang gamit ng platform, mas malaki ang damage, because fake narratives do not only attack individuals, they poison the public’s faith in democratic spaces,” Acidre pointed out.
Acidre said Marcos should recognize that withdrawing the video does not erase the damage caused by placing it before the public through the Senate floor.
“Withdrawal is welcome, but accountability does not end when the video is pulled back. You cannot throw mud inside the Senate, withdraw the bucket and then pretend the floor is clean,” Acidre said.
Acidre said Marcos’ tactic risks lowering the standard for all public officials at a time when citizens are already demanding competence, seriousness and restraint from leaders.
He said the Senate can only regain public trust by rejecting performative politics and insisting that its floor remain a place for truth, lawmaking and responsible scrutiny.
“Our politics needs less fake news and more truth, less ambush by insinuation and more work that actually helps people. Sen. Imee owes the Senate, her colleagues and the public a higher standard than what we saw,” Acidre said.
