Villar, Marcos catch up as Senate virtual hearing wraps up

MANILA, Philippines — Following a one-hour Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, Senators Cynthia Villar and Imee Marcos were caught on video catching up with one another as the current pandemic restricted the lawmakers from physically attending official proceedings.

As Villar suspended the Senate hearing she was presiding via teleconference, the two senators gushed about the birth of Marcos’ second grandchild.

“Imee kumusta ka?” Villar asked Marcos, to which the latter responded with: “Mabuti nandito sa Ilocos, nag aalaga po.”

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“May ikalawang apo na po ako,” Marcos added.

›Villar then asked her fellow lady senator about the gender of her grandchild.

“Ah nanganak na? Ano babae, lalaki?” Villar said.

In response, Marcos said her second grandchild is a boy.

“Ngayon lalaki na kaya super lola na po,” Marcos told Villar.

Before logging off, Villar thanked Marcos for attending the hearing and as they promised to see each other physically once it was safe to go out.

“Sige, we’ll see you when it’s safer. Thank you for attending the hearing,” Villar said.

Since the upper chamber allowed virtual participation during official proceedings due to the pandemic, Senate hearings and plenary sessions have sometimes turned into a venue for unexpected moments, technical difficulties and, of course, the occasional “naka-mute ka” remarks.

Just two weeks ago, a barking puppy interrupted a Senate hearing led by Senator Grace Poe and provided relief to both senators and participants, who were tackling a rather serious topic.

Back in May, Villar was also caught during a Senate plenary session calling for her staff member named “Dianne,” which elicited laughter from her colleagues.

EDV