President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the commotion and gunfire reported at the Senate premises on Wednesday night.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the President convened a meeting to get updates on the incident and directed authorities to establish the facts, identify those responsible, and ensure accountability.
“Opo, meron po kaming pagpupulong kasama si Presidente sa nangyari kahapon,” Matibag said during a Palace press briefing.
He said Marcos’ instruction was to ensure that the investigation would be truthful and fair, and that those found liable would be made to answer.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police would coordinate with concerned agencies to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and the identities of all those involved.
“We are coordinating such that we can go into the bottom of this case and the personalities who are involved should be accounted for and/or fully investigated,” Nartatez said.
He said the probe would cover not only NBI personnel but also security personnel at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building and the Senate security team led by the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA).
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the incident stemmed from heightened tensions following reports that Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa could be arrested inside the Senate.
Castro said Dela Rosa went live on social media at around 4 pm Wednesday, claiming that he might be arrested. This was followed by a statement from the OSAA, led by retired police Maj. Gen. Mao Aplasca, indicating that an arrest could possibly happen within the Senate.
Shortly afterward, Senate security personnel reportedly spotted NBI agents within the nearby GSIS compound, which shares an access point with the Senate offices.
Castro said GSIS President and General Manager John Arnulfo Veloso had requested NBI assistance to secure the agency’s premises, prompting the deployment of agents at around 6 pm.
“Walang operasyon ang NBI o PNP na arestuhin si Senator Bato,” Castro said, reiterating Marcos’ statement that no order had been given to arrest Dela Rosa.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed that Dela Rosa is covered by an arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with deaths linked to the anti-drug campaign when he served as PNP chief beginning in 2016.
Castro said that after Senate security confirmed the presence of NBI agents near the GSIS-Senate access bridge, Senate personnel went on alert.
She said when an NBI agent identified himself near the bridge, Aplasca allegedly fired a warning shot, prompting the agent to also fire a warning shot in response.
Matibag said the NBI and PNP have requested Senate authorities to provide closed-circuit television footage inside the building to help investigators reconstruct the events.
He said investigators were looking into several key moments, including an earlier encounter when Dela Rosa was not intercepted at a Senate stairwell, the commotion that occurred while the senator remained inside his office, and how he later managed to leave the Senate premises without the NBI confirming his whereabouts.
“Kaya nga po ako humihiling ng buong kopya ng CCTV mula noong dumating siya sa parking, kung kanino siya nakasakay na sasakyan hanggang sa pumasok,” Matibag said.
He said available video clips only showed the chase and commotion, but not the events leading up to it.
Matibag also said NBI agents decided to respect the Senate’s declaration placing Dela Rosa under protective custody, citing the need to recognize the independence of a coequal branch of government.
“Noong nagdeklara po ang Senado ng protective custody nila si Senator Bato, minabuti po namin na irespeto iyon,” he said. “Ang respeto po natin sa coequal branch ay nandoon.”