During privilege speech: Mabatid violates rules in playing recordings?

CEBU, Philippines — Did Cebu City Councilor Prisca Niña Mabatid commit a serious breach of law and the house rules of the City Council when she played a recorded phone conversation of her and two alleged victims of sexual harassment during a privilege speech?

Section 1 of Republic Act 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping Law prohibits the recording of private phone conversation without the consent of the parties involved.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama also said that Mabatid did not ask permission from the council that she was playing a recorded phone conversation. Rama said such act is not allowed under the council’s rules.

In a privilege speech on Tuesday, Mabatid answered the allegations that she allegedly intervened in the complaint for sexual harassment against a city hall official and a political ally.

According to the allegations made by the complainants, Mabatid asked them to drop their complaint against Lorenzo Basamot.

In her speech Mabatid admitted calling the two complainants but denied convincing them to withdraw their complaint. To prove that she was telling the truth, Mabatid played her supposed conversations with them.

In the recordings, which she claimed to have permission from the complainants, Mabatid was heard encouraging one of the complainants to fight for her right as a woman. She also assured the complainant of her support.

Rama, however, said that the recordings were no longer included in the minutes because Mabatid sought for it to be stricken off the record.

"Based sa among record, we have not put that kay iya man gipa-remove," Rama said.

Mabatid, for her part, said she believes the council had an idea of what was the content of her privilege speech.

"It's a privilege speech as it is. Copies are given beforehand, so I presumed they know. My resolving clauses were approved in massive motion," she told The Freeman.

Rama said the issue has to be discussed by the council "to look at its entirety."

"Right now, I would not want to be preempting," Rama explained. /FPL (FREEMAN)