Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian advised those attending Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial who feel sleepy or tired to watch the proceedings from home rather than dozing off in the Senate session hall.
In a recent interview with Super Radyo dzBB, Senate President and senator-judge Sherwin Gatchalian addressed the issue of some attendees appearing sleepy during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. He suggested that members and attendees who were tired or sleepy should opt to watch the trial at home instead of sleeping during the sessions held in the Senate chamber. This comes after Senate impeachment court Presiding Officer Francis Escudero rebuked Manila Representative Bienvenido Abante for appearing to doze off while testimony was being given by Rendell Sopeña, division chief of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS). Abante was seated in the VIP section when the incident was observed.
The prosecution team from the House of Representatives appealed to the public to be understanding, noting that it is normal for older individuals to feel sleepy during long daytime sessions and that this does not imply a lack of dedication to public service. Additionally, Senator-judge Ping Lacson shared a photo of Abante sleeping during the trial and made a lighthearted comment about where Abante might sleep on days when the trial is canceled, such as on September 30.
Senator Lacson also commented that the prosecution appears to be outperforming the defense team of Vice President Duterte, citing that members of the defense, including Abante and private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan, were caught sleeping, whereas former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo from the defense was fully attentive.
The remarks and observations underline the challenges and fatigue associated with the lengthy impeachment proceedings. Senate President Gatchalian’s advice aims to maintain the decorum and respect of the impeachment court proceedings while encouraging rest and attentiveness outside the session hall.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/balitambayan/balita/1004743/sp-gatchalian-sa-mga-inaantok-sa-bahay-na-lang-manood-ng-impeachment-trial/story
