The intense legal sparring at the 25th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial took an unexpected, lighthearted detour when retired Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban engaged in a cheeky exchange with Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros, leaving the gallery in stitches.
The playful moment unfolded right in the middle of a marathon round of clarificatory questions, when Hontiveros asked the former top magistrate if he would be willing to stick around just a bit longer to weigh in on queries intended for his fellow amici curiae.
“Maraming salamat po CJ Panganiban. At habang nandito pa kayo, baka gusto niyo rin tugunan yung mga tanong na itatanong ko naman sa ibang amici curiae,” Hontiveros asked politely.
Without missing a beat, the retired Chief Justice flashed his characteristic humor, serving up a banter-filled response, “maski ho sa private, puwede ho ako sumagot? Maski sa pribado na conversation natin, puwede ako sumagot… Dalaga naman po kayo.”
The sly line immediately triggered a wave of chuckles across the plenary floor, prompting Senate President Francis Escudero to break decorum and joke whether Panganiban could officially confirm Hontiveros’ single status on the record.
Hontiveros tried to steer the conversation back to the legal matters at hand, attempting to fire off her next batch of questions.
However, Panganiban delivered a swift, hilarious punchline before she could even finish: “Hindi ko po sinasabi, binata rin ako.”
The quick-witted quip sent another round of loud laughter echoing through the gallery, providing a much-needed moment of comic relief amidst the high-stakes constitutional debate.