Authorities are investigating whether the gunfire inside the Senate was staged to create a distraction that could have allowed Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to evade arrest.
Dela Rosa is facing an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, and both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed that this angle is part of their inquiry.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the agency is not drawing conclusions but will include the possibility in its ongoing investigation.
PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. assured the public of a thorough probe, noting that Pasay City police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) have been tasked to lead the investigation.
He emphasized that investigators were ordered to secure CCTV footage, radio communications, and entry logs to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Social media speculation has also focused on Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca, a Philippine Military Academy classmate of Dela Rosa.
Initial findings revealed that Aplasca fired the first shot after spotting an NBI agent near the GSIS building.
Police later arrested a volunteer driver for the NBI inside the Senate building.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said the suspect was found on the second floor where the gunfire occurred and was carrying live ammunition and an M15 magazine.
He now faces charges under Republic Act 10591, along with alarm and scandal, grave threats, and direct assault.
Authorities are investigating how the suspect gained access to the building despite a lockdown.
Tuaño confirmed that CCTV footage showed the suspect among those inside the Senate but said further tests, including a paraffin examination, will determine if he fired shots.
He added that the Pasay City police chief has been instructed to look into all angles, including the suspect’s entry into the building.
Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro said all aspects of the incident are being examined to “ferret out the truth.”
Nartatez reiterated that investigators will pursue accountability without regard to affiliations, stressing that the matter is one of national security and public trust. (Aaron Recuenco)
