An investigation conducted by the Philippine Marines has cleared its personnel of involvement in the May 13 shooting incident at the Senate, the Philippine Navy said Tuesday.
Navy spokesperson Capt. Marissa Martinez said the Philippine Marine Corps conducted its own inquiry after the incident, which involved personnel from the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“The Marines inquired about it and they did an investigation,” Martinez said.
According to Martinez, the Marine personnel assigned at the Senate underwent paraffin tests and were found negative for gunpowder residue.
“I learned from the Philippine Marine Corps that none of them fired their weapon,” Martinez said. “They are negative during the paraffin test. So it just indicates that none of them directly participated in the shooting incident.”
The May 13 incident occurred two days after what was described as a failed attempt to arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court in connection with the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte over the previous administration’s drug war.
Martinez said the Marines “came out clean” from the investigation and no personnel were relieved from their posts.
“None of them was relieved. They are staying put,” she said.
Around 20 Marine personnel are currently assigned to the Senate, according to the Navy official. Martinez said their deployment was not related to the shooting incident, as Marines have long been tasked to help secure key government installations.
She said the Philippine Marines have been providing security for several years not only at the Senate, but also at other critical sites such as Malacañang, Congress, and the Rizal Monument.
“The role given to them is to provide security not only to Malacañang, to Congress, but also the Senate and Rizal Monument,” Martinez said.
The clarification comes amid continuing scrutiny of the security situation at the Senate following the incident, which prompted questions over the presence and roles of different law enforcement and security units at the complex.