The chief of the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) denied suggestions that the shooting incident at the Senate premises was staged, saying the confrontation would not have happened had armed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents not entered the area without coordination.
In an interview, OSAA chief Mao Aplasca said Senate security had been receiving persistent reports since Wednesday morning about the presence of armed NBI agents around the Senate, which is housed at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building in Pasay City.
“Mahirap po yatang sabihing staged po ang nangyari dito. Hindi ko naman po puwedeng i-stage ’yun,” Aplasca said.
“Pagdating po ng mga NBI agents dito, wala naman po kaming control sa mga NBI agents. Kung hindi po sila dumating dito, wala pong mangyayaring barilan o putukan dito sa premises ng Senate,” he added.
Aplasca said Senate security confirmed the presence of armed NBI personnel through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. He said he also personally went to the GSIS gate and saw the armed agents himself.
He said he later sought clearance from Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano to verify reports that armed NBI agents had been spotted near a second-floor exit.
According to Aplasca, Senate security challenged the men verbally after confirming they were armed. The men allegedly identified themselves as NBI agents.
Aplasca said Senate security asked them why they were armed and ordered them to lower their firearms.
Instead of lowering their weapons, Aplasca said the NBI personnel raised their guns, prompting Senate security to fire a warning shot as part of its standard operating procedure.
“Totoo po na kami ang unang nagpaputok kasi kasama po ito sa aming standard operating procedures,” he said.
“Instead of lowering their firearm, itinaas po nila ’yung kanilang baril kaya nagpaputok kami ng warning shot,” he added.
Aplasca said Senate security expected the armed men to stand down after the warning shot, but the NBI personnel allegedly returned fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
“Pagkatapos po naming magpaputok ng warning shot, we expected them to lower their firearm. Instead, gumanti po sila ng pagbaril sa amin,” he said.
He said no one from the Senate security side was hit during the exchange.
Aplasca questioned why NBI agents were in the Senate area without prior coordination, calling their presence “very unusual.”
“Wala pong nag-coordinate sa amin na mga NBI simula umaga hanggang gabi hanggang sa nagkaroon ng putukan,” he said.
He said the matter is now under investigation, including why NBI personnel were in the area and why no coordination was made with Senate security.
Aplasca also said one person arrested after police reinforcements arrived allegedly admitted that he was part of the NBI team that went to the Senate.
The incident unfolded amid heightened tensions over the stay of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa at the Senate, where he had been placed under protective custody following reports of a possible arrest related to an International Criminal Court warrant.
Aplasca said it was part of his duty to regularly check on Dela Rosa while the senator was in the Senate building.
He said his last visit to Dela Rosa’s office was around 1 am, and the senator gave no indication that he intended to leave the premises.
Aplasca said Senate security later confirmed that Dela Rosa had already left with Sen. Robin Padilla in a vehicle that passed through the Senate premises.
He explained that vehicles carrying senators are normally not inspected at Senate gates because guards are familiar with them.
“Normally po, pagka mga senador po ang dadaan sa aming mga gate, kilala naman po sila ng ating mga guards, hindi po sila ini-inspeksiyon,” Aplasca said.