Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante during the impeachment proceedings of Sara Duterte at the House of Representatives of the Philippines on April 14, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante on Monday blamed the “lousy” questions of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense counsels a few hours after his attention was called in court for falling asleep in the chamber.
Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero briefly halted the senators' questioning of Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) Division Chief Rendell Sopeña and asked two House lawmakers in the gallery to nudge Abante who fell asleep in the middle of the proceedings.
“Nakakaantok 'yong mga tanong ng mga defense lawyers kaya nakatulog ako. Masarap makinig pero kapag malamya na, nakakaantok na,” Abante told reporters on the sidelines of the trial.
“‘Yung mga tanong kasi ng defense lawyers palaging inoobject ng prosecution team dahilan sa hindi naman ayon doon sa dapat isagot ng mga witness,” he said.
Abante said he stayed inside the gallery and moved to a seat further from the cameras after his brief nap.
“I just kept awake,” he said.
LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte's Impeachment Trial (Day 30)
Sopeña concluded his testimony before the chamber suspended for lunch on the 30th day of Duterte’s impeachment trial.
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Abante is expected to continue attending the second half of the trial where Police Maj. General Joericson Sangalang of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office would be placed on the witness stand.
The Senate impeachment court is currently hearing allegations that Duterte had amassed unexplained wealth.
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