By Lane Afable, News Editor
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident at the Senate, where a commotion occurred as gunshots rang out on Wednesday night.
During a Palace press briefing, NBI Director Melvin Matibag confirmed that he attended a meeting convened by President Marcos to receive updates on the Senate incident, during which the President directed authorities to ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair, impartial, and truthful manner.
“Opo, meron po kaming pagpupulong (kasama si Presidente) na sa nangyari po kahapon…(Naging bilin) siguraduhin ang imbestigasyon ay makatotohanan at parehas at lumabas kung sino talaga ang may mga pananagutan. At siguraduhin na tawagin at pananagutin yung mga taong may dapat na panagutan sa pangyayaring ito,” Matibag added.
At the same briefing, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the PNP would also coordinate with proper authorities to get to the bottom of the Senate incident.
“We are coordinating such that we can go into the bottom of this case and the personalities who are involved should be accounted and/or fully investigated, not only for the NBI but, of course, including the personalities, especially security personnel at the building of the GSIS, as well as the GSIS building being occupied by the Senate security led by the sergeant-at-arms,” Nartatez said.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro gave a detailed account of the sequence of events surrounding the Senate incident on May 13, saying it stemmed from heightened tensions following reports of a possible arrest of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa.
Castro said Dela Rosa conducted a livestream around 4 p.m., claiming he might be arrested, which was followed by a statement from the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms led by retired Police Major General Mao Aplasca indicating that an arrest could take place within the Senate.
Shortly after, Senate security personnel reported spotting NBI agents within the nearby Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) compound, which shares an access point with Senate offices.
Castro said GSIS General Manager Wick Veloso had requested assistance from the NBI to secure its premises, prompting the deployment of agents around 6 p.m.
“Walang operasyon ang NBI o PNP na arestuhin si Senator Bato,” Castro said, confirming the pronouncement of President Marcos that there was no instruction to arrest the senator.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed that dela Rosa has a warrant of arrest for alleged crime against humanity over the death of suspected drug users during his term as PNP chief starting in 2016.
Castro said upon confirming the presence of NBI agents near the GSIS-Senate access bridge, Senate security personnel reportedly went on alert. When an NBI agent identified himself near the bridge, Aplasca allegedly fired a warning shot, prompting the agent to also discharge a warning shot in response.
Matibag said the NBI and the PNP have asked the Senate authorities to share CCTV footage inside the Senate building for their review.
Matibag said part of the investigation involved three separate occasions—first, when dela Rosa was not intercepted at a Senate stairwell; second, during the commotion on Wednesday, when the senator remained inside his office; and third, when he was able to leave the Senate premises without the NBI confirming his whereabouts.
“Kaya nga po ako humihiling ng buong kopya ng CCTV mula noong dumating siya sa parking, kung kanino siya nakasakay na sasakyan hanggang sa pumasok dahil ang nakita na lang nating video ay iyong takbuhan na lang eh, iyong habulan. Hindi po naipakita roon na magsi-serve na ng warrant, kakausapin na po si Senator Bato; tinackle [tackle] niya po iyong babaeng ahente, kaya po nagkaroon ng takbuhan,” the NBI chief added.
Matibag noted that when the Senate declared that Dela Rosa was under its protective custody, the NBI agents chose to respect the decision, citing the importance of honoring the independence of a coequal branch of government.
“Noong nagdeklara po ang Senado ng protective custody nila si Senator Bato, minabuti po namin na irespeto iyong sinabi na iyon ng Senado sapagkat ang respeto po natin sa co-equal branch po ng executive ay nandoon,” he added.
