TULOG o NAGDADASAL LANG SI Cong. Abante During Impeachment Trual? #attybuenoexplains

During the September 28, 2026 session of the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. was caught on camera dozing off while sitting in the gallery directly behind a witness. Key Details The Incident: Presiding Officer Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero noticed Abante sleeping and asked fellow lawmaker Ace Barbers to "kindly nudge Cong. Benny a bit," jokingly adding that if he needed rest, it should not be right behind the witness stand. Lighthearted Exchange: House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro tried to lighten the moment by quipping that Abante—a pastor—was "praying for the prosecution," to which Escudero humorously replied, "I doubt that". Escudero also noted Abante was likely exhausted following long House deliberations on the national budget. Abante's Explanation: In interviews during a trial break, Rep. Abante freely admitted to falling asleep, placing the blame on the defense lawyers' questioning: "Nakaka-antok 'yung mga tanong ng defense lawyers, kaya medyo nakatulog ako" ("The defense lawyers' questions were boring/lulling, so I fell asleep").