The Senate leadership on Friday urged Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to also place National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag under preventive suspension in connection with the shooting incident at the Senate building.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano made the appeal during a Facebook livestream, saying Matibag should also be covered by the independent investigation because, in his view, the NBI chief is “more suspect” than Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca.
Aplasca was earlier placed under preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman over the Wednesday night shooting at the Senate premises.
Cayetano said he welcomes the Ombudsman’s independent probe, stressing that it could help establish the truth behind the incident. However, he said the Senate should have been informed sooner about the suspension order against Aplasca so the chamber could immediately arrange for a replacement.
He said Senate security must be ensured as the chamber prepares to convene as an impeachment court on Monday.
“Let me just appeal to the Ombudsman, also suspend the NBI director because he is more suspect than General Mao here. We don’t want to set a bad example in the independent investigation and we don’t want to put the Senate in harm’s way,” Cayetano said.
The Senate President also urged the Ombudsman to consider suspending other NBI officials, including Jerome Bomediano, head of the NBI’s transnational crimes division.
Cayetano said Bomediano was allegedly identified by an NBI “confidential agent” arrested at the Senate after the shooting incident as the official who ordered him to retrieve a sling bag supposedly left by NBI agents at the second-floor staircase of the Senate building.
Cayetano said an independent investigation should examine not only the outcome of the incident but also the process and possible actions of all officials involved.
“Remember in an investigation it’s not only the result, it’s the process,” Cayetano said.
He said the investigation would not appear fully independent if only Senate officials were preventively suspended while NBI officials allegedly linked to the incident remained in their posts.
“So, there will be no independent investigation while the NBI officials, officials ha, di lang po yung director, pati yung head ng transnational crimes kasi iyon po ang tinuturo ng kanilang confidential agent,” he said.
He added that the suspension should not apply only to the Senate side while the NBI officials mentioned in the probe continue to hold their positions.
The Senate shooting incident has triggered separate calls for accountability and a broader investigation into the circumstances surrounding the presence of NBI-linked personnel inside the Senate building.