Palace: Senate security chief triggered shooting

A warning shot fired by a personnel of the Senate’s Office of Sergeant-at-Arms (Osaa) triggered Wednesday’s shooting incident inside the complex occupied by the Senate and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Pasay City, Malacañang said on Thursday.

The incident is now under investigation, with the Philippine National Police vowing to thoroughly look into it and a senator filing a resolution for the chamber to conduct its own probe.

In a press briefing, Palace press officer Claire Castro said retired Police Maj. Gen. Mao Aplasca, head of the Osaa, “immediately fired a warning shot” after his team questioned the presence of National Bureau of Investigation agents on the GSIS property.

“Because of this, the NBI agent was also compelled to fire a warning shot,” she said.

Castro explained that NBI agents were in the GSIS main building at about 6 p.m. after GSIS President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso “asked for assistance from the NBI to secure their premises.”

The Senate occupies part of the GSIS complex, with a bridge connecting the state insurer’s head office to the upper chamber’s main building.

Secure GSIS

Castro said the Senate controls the key to open the door from its side leading to the bridge connected to the GSIS.

According to NBI Director Melvin Matibag, Veloso requested the agency to secure and maintain peace and order in the GSIS area on Wednesday, “because they were noticing that the situation has been chaotic, with many people going in and out of the complex.”

Matibag said he approved the deployment of a small team composed of “four to six personnel” tasked to go around the GSIS premises, but they were specifically instructed not to enter the Senate.

This figure differs from that of Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who told Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano in a text message that 21 NBI agents were deployed to secure each floor of the GSIS building.

Matibag said the agents were wearing “ordinary gear” and carrying long firearms, including an AR-15 rifle.

The Inquirer has reached out to Veloso regarding his request for NBI assistance. He has yet to reply as of publication.

Monday standoff

The GSIS temporarily closed its main office on Thursday.

This was not the first time that the two sides had an encounter.

Last Monday, a standoff happened between Osaa personnel and NBI agents, with the latter cited in contempt for allegedly blocking Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa from entering the Senate premises.

The agents were supposed to serve a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court against Dela Rosa, who has been named as co-perpetrator of former President Rodrigo Duterte in the war on drugs.

Wednesday’s encounter happened after Dela Rosa’s livestream on Facebook at around 4 p.m. where he claimed that he was going to be arrested.

Shortly after, Aplasca sent a message to the media stating lockdown preparations and mentioning an impending arrest.

Several minutes later, Castro said, Osaa personnel spotted NBI agents, who were with the “blue guard” private security of the GSIS in the GSIS premises. The agents saw Osaa personnel gearing up, putting on vests and preparing for an operation.

Upon reaching the bridge, the Osaa questioned the NBI agents.

After the NBI agents identified themselves, Aplasca then fired a warning shot, leading to a series of gunfire, Castro said.

“We would like to clarify two things: first, the NBI agents did not conduct any assault operation against the Senate; and second, neither the NBI nor the [PNP] had any operation to arrest Senator Bato,” she said.

In an interview on Thursday night, Aplasca acknowledged that he fired his gun upward as a warning shot.

“Our procedure in law enforcement is to first give a challenge or verbal warning, which we did. Second, if they cooperate with the verbal warning, then we talk to clarify why they are there, but that is not what happened,” he said in Filipino. “After our verbal warning, they returned fire. Of course, we also have the right to protect ourselves, so we also fired. That resulted in an exchange of gunfire.”

‘From inside the Senate’

Matibag said the agent fired “six warning shots” in response to the Osaa’s first warning shot.

In turn, the Osaa side fired “not less than 30” shots, according to PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.

Nartatez said that based on their “initial appreciation,” the spent bullets recovered by crime scene investigators “came from inside the Senate.”

The PNP and NBI also confirmed videos circulating online that NBI agents were drilling the door leading to the bridgeway.

Nartatez said the agents were drilling bolts to close the door. Steel cabinets were then placed “to block access so that no one could pass between the GSIS premises and the Senate, and vice versa.”

‘No stone left unturned’

In a video statement on Wednesday night, President Marcos denied giving instructions to the PNP and the NBI to serve the arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, after the Supreme Court did not issue a temporary restraining order. The court instead issued a resolution ordering executive officials to comment within 72 hours on Dela Rosa’s motion questioning the validity of the ICC arrest warrant.

Dela Rosa was also given 72 hours from receipt of the comment to reply.

In a statement on Thursday, Nartatez said investigators from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) were already looking into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

“We assure all our countrymen of a thorough, objective, and exhaustive investigation of this incident. Our goal is clear: follow the evidence wherever it leads,” said Nartatez. “We are working closely with the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to ensure that no stone is left unturned. This is a matter of national security and public trust.”

The Southern Police District confirmed it has arrested Mel Oragon, a volunteer driver for the NBI, who is suspected of discharging his firearm, triggering the ensuing panic.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the CIDG have been ordered to preserve available CCTV footage, radio communications and entry logs that would establish what transpired during the incident.

Senate probe

Sen. Bam Aquino, meanwhile, has filed Senate Resolution No. 397 seeking a probe into the incident, which, he said, has raised “serious concerns” regarding security, the Senate’s integrity, safety of employees, stakeholders, and guests, and proper coordination among government bodies.

He stressed that the Senate, as a fundamental democratic institution, “must preserve its integrity, orderly functioning and constitutional independence at all times.” —WITH REPORTS FROM MARY JOY SALCEDO, LUISA CABATO AND TINA G. SANTOS