Mad scramble on for Senate impeach trial admission tickets

There are only 365 admission tickets for a ringside view to what could be the most significant event in Philippine history — the impeachment trial of the president of the Republic.

The tickets, though, are not for sale and will only be given to those who have direct access to the hallowed Senate halls, as well as representatives of various groups directly involved in the impeachment proceedings.

"We have decided that only 365 people, aside from senators and media, will be allowed inside the Senate hall," Senate secretary Lutgardo Barbo told The STAR.

He said space limitations have compelled the Senate secretariat to limit the crowd inside the session hall to ensure an orderly trial.

Each senator, Barbo said, will be given 10 tickets each including their staff while the remaining seats will be reserved for the prosecution and representatives of various groups.

Sen. Raul Roco said that this early, his office has been flooded with requests for admission tickets. And to make maximum use of his quota, the senator said he will "rotate" distribution of tickets daily to allow different sectors access to the session hall.

Roco said that although the trial will be covered live on television, watching the proceedings as they unfold is an entirely different experience.

Barbo said the decision to issue admission tickets was made after Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. turned down a proposal to transfer the venue to a bigger place like the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) to allow more people to watch the proceedings.

Pimentel said the proceedings were supposed to be solemn "and not a drama series."

Barbo said transferring the venue to the PICC would mean additional cost since the Senate would have to pay for the space and facilities needed during the trial.

"The Senate has limited budget and we have to operate within our means," Barbo said.