National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Tuesday, May 19, said Senator Alan Peter Cayetano should also be suspended for command responsibility in connection with the May 13 incident at the Senate.
Matibag made the statement after Cayetano urged the Office of the Ombudsman to suspend him over the alleged attack on the Senate.
“I wasn’t the one who fired a gun. Maybe he was thinking that as head of the NBI, I should be suspended too for command responsibility,” Matibag said during a media forum in Manila.
He argued that if command responsibility is the basis, then Cayetano should be the first to face suspension since the Senate Sergeant‑At‑Arms falls under his supervision.
“In fact, the Senate Sergeant‑At‑Arms admitted that they were the ones talking during that incident,” Matibag added.
The Ombudsman earlier suspended retired police general Mao Aplasca for firing a warning shot during the confrontation, but Matibag insisted that the NBI did not attempt to enter the Senate or arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
He maintained that the gunfire was triggered by the Senate’s own security team.
Matibag stressed that he and the NBI did nothing wrong but affirmed he is ready to face any investigation.
“And speaking of command responsibility, who was the head of the Senate when that happened?” he said, reiterating his call for Cayetano’s suspension. (Aaron Recuenco)
