Former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca has been dismissed from government service over his alleged role in the armed confrontation between Senate security personnel and National Bureau of Investigation operatives inside the Senate compound on May 13, 2026.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed the dismissal in a media interview on Saturday, saying he signed the order last Monday.
Remulla declined to discuss the details of the ruling but said the full decision will be released this week for public scrutiny.
“We will release the decision for people to see because it is difficult to explain,” Remulla said.
Aplasca, a former police major general, had earlier been placed under a six-month preventive suspension while the Office of the Ombudsman investigated the Senate standoff.
He previously admitted firing the first warning shot during the incident, which was followed by an exchange of gunfire inside the Senate building.
The confrontation erupted while Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was under Senate protective custody amid an alleged attempt by authorities to serve an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
The dismissal marks the most serious administrative action so far arising from the May 13 incident, which raised questions over security protocols, command responsibility, and the use of force inside the Senate.