During the press conference at the Malacañang, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Atty Melvin Matibag clarified that the individual arrested following the shooting incident at the Senate on the evening of May 13 is not an employee of the agency but a volunteer.
The Southern Police District in its initial investigation revealed that the arrested shooter was Mel Oragon, 44 years old.
However, Matibag said upon validation of the records of NBI agents and employees, Oragon is not an official employee of the agency. “Based on my personal investigation, it turns out that he (Oragon) is a volunteer who was, according to our agents, with them at that time.”
Matibag explained that due to lack of manpower, agents are joined by individuals or volunteers called force multipliers. There are also ‘alphas’ or assets that join agents in operations to solicit information.
Regarding if Oragon is allowed to carry a gun, Matibag said that Oragon has no access to any firearm but was only handed one during the incident.
Matibag also clarified that said there were no NBI agents at the Senate. There were agents deployed at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) premises at around 6 pm based on the request of GSIS Director Jose Arnulfo Veloso. “He wrote a letter to me asking for assistance to help maintain peace and order and secure the GSIS compound.”
The NBI director reiterated that there was no order to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. Agents deployed at the GSIS compound are directed to only monitor the movements of Dela Rosa should they encounter him.