Malacañang and the National Bureau of Investigation on Thursday denied that government agents were at the GSIS building in Taguig City to arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, saying NBI personnel were deployed only to help secure the government insurance office.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the NBI responded to a request from GSIS President and General Manager Arnulfo Veloso for security assistance at around 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The GSIS building also houses the Senate, where tensions escalated amid reports of a possible move to arrest Dela Rosa, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over the Duterte administration’s bloody anti-drug campaign.
“Gusto nating linawin, una, walang assault na ginawa ang NBI agents sa Senado; at pangalawa, walang operasyon ang NBI o PNP na arestuhin si Senator Bato,” Castro said in a Malacañang briefing with NBI Director Melvin Matibag and PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.
Castro said initial reports received by the Palace showed that the first shot was fired by Mao Aplasca of the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, prompting armed NBI personnel to return fire.
Matibag confirmed that NBI agents at the GSIS building were armed, saying they were responding to the agency’s request to secure its office.
He also said Mel Oragon, whom he described as an NBI volunteer driver, fired his weapon after Aplasca allegedly fired first. Matibag said Oragon is a civilian and not an official NBI employee.
According to Matibag, the NBI sometimes taps volunteers and assets as force multipliers because of manpower constraints, including for information-gathering during operations.
He said around six warning shots were fired.
Nartatez, however, said the PNP’s initial probe showed that not fewer than 30 shots were fired inside the Senate-occupied portion of the building.
Both Matibag and Nartatez stressed that the investigation remains ongoing to establish who fired their weapons and who should be held liable.
Nartatez said investigators are collecting bullet fragments and spent shells, interviewing persons present during the incident, and comparing witness accounts with closed-circuit television footage.
He said authorities have identified at least 20 persons who were at the scene.
Matibag maintained that there was no order to arrest Dela Rosa, saying the instruction was only to monitor his movements.
He said the NBI was aware of Dela Rosa’s petition before the Supreme Court and the tribunal’s order for parties to submit comments within 72 hours on the senator’s bid to block his arrest.
Matibag said that despite the ICC warrant, authorities did not move to arrest Dela Rosa out of respect for the Senate, which had placed the senator under protective custody.
Nartatez also explained that drilling heard during the incident was related to GSIS efforts to close a connecting door and bridge between its office and the Senate area to prevent unauthorized passage.
Castro said authorities were still seeking official confirmation that Dela Rosa had already left the Senate, although several sources had indicated that he was no longer there.
Matibag said it would be “sad” if Dela Rosa had left.
“Ako naman po naniniwala na ating mga senador, mga kagalang-galang po nating senador, ay sila po humingi ng ganoon at ang pagkakaalam naman natin proproteksyunan nila hindi lamang po si Senator Bato kung hindi iyong ating mismong mga batas sa Konstitusyon na umiiral,” Matibag said.
He also acknowledged that some NBI personnel felt the Senate incident may have been “staged,” but said it would be better to wait for the official investigation instead of speculating.
“I’ll be very honest, that’s the sentiment of our NBI agents,” Matibag said, adding that the bureau was at the building not only for GSIS security but also to monitor a person covered by an arrest warrant.
Matibag said the NBI would defer to the Department of Justice on the matter.