A brief moment of laughter broke out during the 30th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday, September 28, after Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero noticed Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. appearing to fall asleep behind the witness.

“Before calling on Senator Joel Villanueva, may I ask Congressman Defensor, Congressman Barbers, to kindly nudge Cong. Benny a bit? It seems he’s tired. He may want to rest somewhere, but at least not right behind the witness,” Escudero said.

House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro then joked, “I think he’s praying for us.”

“I doubt that. But anyway,” Escudero replied.

“He’s praying for the prosecution, Your Honor,” Luistro adds, drawing further laughter.

In an ambush interview while the trial is suspended, Abante admitted that he briefly fell asleep, saying he only managed to sleep at around 2:00 a.m.

“Alas dos na ako natulog kaninang umaga. Medyo nakatulog ako. Aantukin ka roon sa mga tanong ng defense lawyers,” Abante says.

Asked why he found the proceedings sleepy, Abante says the defense lawyers’ questioning became “malamya” or sluggish and involved different stories.

“Hindi ko narinig yung sinabi ni Sen. Chiz pero alam mo masarap pakinig pero pag malamya na yung mga tanong mong different stories, nakakaantok,” he says.

Abante also says he believes some of the defense’s questions stray from the main issues of the trial.

“Yung mga tanong kasi ng defense lawyers palaging ino-object ng prosecution case. Dahilan sa hindi naman ayon sa dapat na sagot ng witness. So, para bang nilalansi tayo. Parang nag-i-skirt doon sa talagang issue na dapat na ito,” he says.

Despite being called out by Escudero, Abante said he remained in the plenary and simply moved to the back of the chamber.

“I stayed. I just went to sa likod. I went to the back,” he says.