Moments of laughter break ‘monotony’ in Corona trial
Just how fast is “faster than 12 o’clock”? And what is a military rank called DD? Do guys really shun gossip? These were the topics that triggered giggles during an otherwise monotonous impeachment trial day of Chief Justice Renato Corona in the Senate on Thursday.
No less than the usually stern Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, after he asked one prosecutor how fast is “faster than 12 o’clock,” admitted that he was just trying to “break the monotony of the proceedings.”
The 88-year-old Enrile asked the question after public prosecutor Raul Daza responded to Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada’s inquiry on how fast the Supreme Court issued the temporary restraining order on the implementation of the watch list order against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband.
“Inilabas po ‘yung TRO ng mas mabilis pa sa alas-dose,” Daza said.
“Gaano ba kabilis ang alas-dose?” Enrile asked, sending many in the Senate session hall into laughter.
“DD. Honasan”
Another burst of laughter came when Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III enumerated the ranks of the senator-judges who had stints in the military and the police force.
He said Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a former Navy man, was a lieutenant senior grade; Sen. Loren Legarda, a graduate of the National Defense College, is a lieutenant colonel; and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, former head of the national police force, was a general.
“Si Senator [Gringo] Honasan naman po ay DD… dishonorably discharged,” Sotto, a former comedian, quipped, alluding to what happened to Honasan, a former military colonel, after he participated in several coup attempts in the Eighties.
Men don’t listen to gossip
It was also Sotto who asked Enrile to strike from the record a statement made by Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano that he thought was "not gender sensitive."
Cayetano, in questioning Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on how she obtained information on the TRO, said: "Kalalaki naming tao tsaka mga senator-judges kami hindi kami dapat makinig sa tsismis."
Cayetano, after Sotto’s negative reaction, said he was misquoted: "If I said that then I would be wrong. Ang sinabi ko po kalalaki kong tao magiging tsismoso ako, hindi dapat ako maging tsismoso."
But when Sotto insisted that he said that, Cayetano raised the proverbial white flag and apologized: "I will submit if that is what I said, I'm sorry it must have been my trend of thought, I didn't mean to be not gender sensitive."
'More a lover than a fighter'
"I apologize to the women. I'm more than a lover than a fighter so I will never say things that will offend the women, especially my dear sister," Cayetano added.
Sotto laughed and accepted the apology, but said he still moves to strike the statement.
Enrile, laughing, said that he respects the female members of the court, but that he will let Cayetano's statement stay on record. Sotto attempted to mouth an objection, but decided to keep his silence.
After the ruling, Sotto moved for the adjournment of the session, which Enrile approved. The sergeant-at-arms was about to make the announcement when they remembered that they have yet to dismiss De Lima as witness.
"We forgot about the witness," said Sotto, while laughing. “Discharge the witness.” - KBK/HS, GMA News
No less than the usually stern Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, after he asked one prosecutor how fast is “faster than 12 o’clock,” admitted that he was just trying to “break the monotony of the proceedings.”
The 88-year-old Enrile asked the question after public prosecutor Raul Daza responded to Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada’s inquiry on how fast the Supreme Court issued the temporary restraining order on the implementation of the watch list order against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband.
“Inilabas po ‘yung TRO ng mas mabilis pa sa alas-dose,” Daza said.
“Gaano ba kabilis ang alas-dose?” Enrile asked, sending many in the Senate session hall into laughter.
“DD. Honasan”
Another burst of laughter came when Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III enumerated the ranks of the senator-judges who had stints in the military and the police force.
He said Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a former Navy man, was a lieutenant senior grade; Sen. Loren Legarda, a graduate of the National Defense College, is a lieutenant colonel; and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, former head of the national police force, was a general.
“Si Senator [Gringo] Honasan naman po ay DD… dishonorably discharged,” Sotto, a former comedian, quipped, alluding to what happened to Honasan, a former military colonel, after he participated in several coup attempts in the Eighties.
Men don’t listen to gossip
It was also Sotto who asked Enrile to strike from the record a statement made by Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano that he thought was "not gender sensitive."
Cayetano, in questioning Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on how she obtained information on the TRO, said: "Kalalaki naming tao tsaka mga senator-judges kami hindi kami dapat makinig sa tsismis."
Cayetano, after Sotto’s negative reaction, said he was misquoted: "If I said that then I would be wrong. Ang sinabi ko po kalalaki kong tao magiging tsismoso ako, hindi dapat ako maging tsismoso."
But when Sotto insisted that he said that, Cayetano raised the proverbial white flag and apologized: "I will submit if that is what I said, I'm sorry it must have been my trend of thought, I didn't mean to be not gender sensitive."
'More a lover than a fighter'
"I apologize to the women. I'm more than a lover than a fighter so I will never say things that will offend the women, especially my dear sister," Cayetano added.
Sotto laughed and accepted the apology, but said he still moves to strike the statement.
Enrile, laughing, said that he respects the female members of the court, but that he will let Cayetano's statement stay on record. Sotto attempted to mouth an objection, but decided to keep his silence.
After the ruling, Sotto moved for the adjournment of the session, which Enrile approved. The sergeant-at-arms was about to make the announcement when they remembered that they have yet to dismiss De Lima as witness.
"We forgot about the witness," said Sotto, while laughing. “Discharge the witness.” - KBK/HS, GMA News
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