Retired Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban brought a light moment to Wednesday’s Senate Impeachment Court proceedings after jokingly telling Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros that he remains single.

The light moment came as Hontiveros thanked Panganiban and the other retired justices for sharing their legal views with the impeachment court on the 26th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

“Retired pero hindi retarded,” Panganiban quipped after Hontiveros thanked him for continuing to serve the country despite his retirement.

Hontiveros then told Panganiban that he could also answer questions she would raise with the other amici curiae, or “friends of the court.”

“Maski po sa pribado na conversation natin pwede ako sumagot? Dalaga naman po kayo,” Panganiban said, drawing laughter from the chamber.

Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero then jokingly asked Hontiveros to confirm Panganiban’s remark.

Hontiveros replied that she had other questions for the amici curiae.

Panganiban then added, “Hindi ko po nasabi, binata rin ako,” prompting more laughter.

“I’m sure marami pong nagnonote niyan,” Hontiveros replied.

Panganiban, 88, was among four retired Supreme Court justices invited to advise the impeachment court on the constitutional voting threshold for convicting or acquitting Duterte.

The other amici curiae are retired Chief Justices Reynato Puno and Hilario Davide Jr., and retired Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna. Davide submitted his position through a legal memorandum, while Panganiban, Puno and Azcuna appeared before the court in person.

The four were asked to weigh in on whether the two-thirds vote required for conviction should continue to be based on all 24 sitting senators, amid the absence of several senator-judges from the trial.

Panganiban, Puno and Davide said the threshold could be adjusted depending on which senators should legally be counted, while Azcuna maintained that all sitting senators should remain part of the denominator.