A heated exchange broke out between defense counsels Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. and Atty. Sheila Sison during the 21st day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, September 2.
The tension arose after Tolosa questioned Sison’s interpretation of a witness’ testimony, particularly on whether an informant would still need to be paid if an operation did not result in a successful outcome.
Sison pushed back against Tolosa’s characterization of her argument as misleading, prompting a sharper exchange between the two defense lawyers.
“Every time the defense counsel speaks, she demands that everyone listen to her!” Tolosa said.
Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero intervened as the discussion became increasingly difficult to follow.
Escudero said he could no longer understand the points being raised by the counsels and sought to bring the proceedings back to order.
Moments later, Tolosa directly addressed Sison and said, “Relax ka muna, Atty. Sheila.”
The exchange briefly drew attention away from the testimony as the impeachment court continued its proceedings on the allegations against Duterte.
