Pasay City Police chief Col. Joselito De Sesto clarified on Friday, May 15, that the white police mobile seen leaving the Senate premises alongside a black van was not part of any convoy or escort operation linked to Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa in the early hours of May 14.
De Sesto confirmed that he was personally onboard the police vehicle spotted exiting the Senate compound at around 3:00 a.m.
According to the police official, the police mobile was conducting a separate police operation and was not connected to any monitored or escorted vehicle.
He explained that it was merely coincidental that a black van exited the Senate gate at the same time as their police vehicle.
De Sesto stressed that he has no information regarding the identity of the individuals onboard the black van and maintained that there was no interaction, coordination, or operation linking Pasay police personnel with the occupants of the vehicle.
He further said that after leaving the Senate premises, their police mobile proceeded in a different direction toward the World Trade Center before returning to the Pasay City Police Station.
The clarification came amid circulating discussions and speculation regarding the presence of the police vehicle and the black van seen leaving the Senate compound at the same time.
The Southern Police District (SPD) emphasized that the deployment of police personnel, including members of the SPD, remained part of standard security and public safety operations around the Senate premises, including crowd and traffic control measures.
The SPD also said that the movement and presence of police units within the Senate premises formed part of regular operational deployment intended to ensure the safety of all concerned.
The SPD likewise reminded the public to exercise prudence and responsibility in sharing information online, particularly content that may create confusion, misinformation, or misinterpretation regarding legitimate police operations. (Jean Fernando)
