Santiago ‘waahs’ prosecution, douses tension in impeach trial

MANILA, Philippines – The usually fiery Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago provided a brief comic relief in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona when she requested to put on record her word “waah” an expression she used to expressed her disgust at the prosecution team.

“This is a travesty! Ang sabi nyo, malakas na malakas ang ebidenysa nya kasi eight ang articles of impeachment. Bilangin mo, walo yun. Pagkatapos ng dalawang buwan pa lang , ah wala na. Tatlo na lang…kasi tama na yun panalo na kami. Waaah!” Santiago said during Wednesday’s impeachment trial in the Senate, eliciting laughter from the crowd in the gallery.

“I request the secretariat should record in our journal that I said waaah!” she said, making the crowd laughing uncontrollably that the presiding officer, Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, had to bang his gavel several times.

“Silence please, silence,” said Enrile.

But this did not stop Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III in joining the fun when he stood up and said, “Thank you, Mr. President, Senator (Serge) Osmena is asking what’s the spelling of waah?”

Enrile willingly answered Sotto, saying ‘waaah!” was just an expression.