The Office of the Ombudsman has asked the Senate to provide records of media personnel who were inside the Senate complex during the May 13 shooting incident that triggered a lockdown in the building.
In a letter addressed to Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau Director Michael Caber, the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Bureau requested a list of journalists present at the Senate premises on May 13 and 14 as part of its ongoing fact-finding investigation.
The request was signed by Maria Melinda Henson, director of the bureau, who said investigators also want copies of logbook entries showing the time of entry and exit of media personnel during the incident.
The Ombudsman said the information would help establish details surrounding the reported shooting and armed confrontation that led to heightened security measures and the temporary lockdown of the Senate complex.
“In relation to the fact-finding investigation of this Office on the shooting incident/armed confrontation leading to the lockdown in the Senate on 13-14 May 2026, may we request your office to submit” the requested records, the letter stated.
Henson added that if the documents are unavailable, the Senate should issue a sworn certification explaining why the records cannot be produced.
She also assured Senate officials that all information and documents submitted to investigators would be handled with strict confidentiality.
The Ombudsman has been conducting a separate investigation into the May 13 incident, which sparked political tensions and heightened security around the Senate building.