The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte requested permission to bring a refrigerator, coffee maker and a private caterer to its holding area during the Senate impeachment trial, Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. confirmed Thursday.
Bantug said the requests were routine administrative and logistical matters and noted that similar arrangements had been made for both the defense and prosecution in previous impeachment trials.
According to Bantug, the requests were among the concerns raised by Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez during her visit to the Senate, which he said had been scheduled before the subpoena ordering her to testify was issued.
The Office of the Vice President later clarified that the requested appliances and catering services were intended for the entire defense team and journalists covering its side of the impeachment proceedings, and not exclusively for the vice president.
