MANILA - Viral photos showing Senator Nancy Binay making faces behind Senate President Vicente Sotto during a congressional hearing have reached the senators, with the chamber's leader offering an explanation, Thursday.

Binay was caught on camera frowning and scrunching her face during the Senate inquiry on the Philippines' preparedness against the novel coronavirus, which has killed nearly 500 people and infected some 24,000 others worldwide.

"Kumakain daw siya ng Cheetos hehehe," Sotto told Senate reporters when asked about the photos that have now become online memes.

Sotto and Binay posed for a selfie a day after their photos went viral, with the Senate President saying in jest on Instagram: "O bakit ito hindi nyo I-viral? Hehehe"

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A post shared by Tito Sotto (@helenstito) on Feb 5, 2020 at 4:42pm PST

ABS-CBN News has reached out to Binay for comment, but the senator has yet to respond.

Binay, a frequent subject of viral memes, earlier said she appreciated these humorous online pictures.

• 'Appreciate memes': 6 tips for the cyber-bullied from Nancy Binay

"Effort maghanap ng picture mo, di ba? Tapos pagkatapos hanapin ang picture mo, gagawan ka pa ng graphics. That takes a lot of their time," she said in an ANC interview in 2018.

"Sa social media kasi may anonymity ka. The things you can't say in person, you say it online. Hindi mo lang nakikita 'yung reactions na nakakasakit ka pero nakakasakit ka. You have to be nice," she said.