Romer Butuyan 
“YOU cannot throw mud inside the Senate, withdraw the bucket and then pretend the floor is clean.”
Ito ang banat ni House Committee on Higher and Technical Education chair at Tingog partylist Rep. Jude Acidre sa aniya’y political vandalism na ginawa ni Senator Imee Marcos.
“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,” wika ni Acidre.
“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,” dugtong ng mambabatas.
Subalit ang malaking tanong matapos na i-withdraw ng senadora ang video kung saan pinaninindigan niya na niluluto umano ng minorya sa Senado ang charter change, no-election (No-El) at term extension ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., bakit aniya pinayagan ng liderato ng mataas na kapulungan ang political tactic para magpasaring, gumawa ng kwento at walang ingat na akusasyon.
Giit ni Acidre, isang malaking kahihiyan at kasiraan sa integridad ng Senado ang ginawa ni Marcos, kasabay ng giit na ang naturang kaganapan ay pagpapakita kung paano nililinlang ang publiko sa paglalatag ng legislative debate na ang totoo ay isa itong propaganda lamang.
“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. The Senate deserves argument, evidence and statesmanship, not content designed for outrage,” ayon pa kay Acidre.
“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,” punto niya.
“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,” paalala naman ni Acidre sa senadora.
Kumbinsido ang ranking House official na ang ChaCha ‘political fiction’ video ni Marcos ay layon lamang ilihis ang atensyon ng publiko sa Duterte impeachment trial.
“Well, sa totoo lang, tinawag nga namin political fiction. Kasi how else would you call a story that’s basically baseless, that’s being promoted to elicit a certain reaction from the people?”
“And why now, at a time when all of our focus should be on the impeachment trial?”
“I think it’s a clear effort to deflect the attention of the public sa mga issue na dapat pinag-uusapan ngayon.”
