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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) maintained yesterday that the Senate was not under attack last week, as it presented evidence and witness accounts to disprove claims of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
At a late afternoon press briefing at Malacañang, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. showed CCTV footage of the shooting incident between the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Nartatez was joined by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida and Palace press officer Claire Castro.
“All evidence points that there was no attack on the Senate. I would like to repeat, all evidence points that there was no attack on the Senate,” Remulla stressed.
“This video is owned by the Senate,” Nartatez said. “We requested this video.”
He said the findings were based on separate investigations conducted by the Pasay City Police Station and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Remulla and Nartatez said the tumult at the Senate was considered a “gun-related incident,” meaning there was a discharge of firearm in the premises of the Senate building last May 13.
Based on the PNP’s investigation, a total of 29 NBI agents were present at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building, adjacent to the Senate.
The NBI was requested by GSIS president and general manager Wick Veloso to secure the premises, where the Senate is located, according to Remulla.
Remulla said the GSIS chief was worried after Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, called for people power to prevent his arrest.
Remulla said none of the NBI agents had tactical gear with them. They were dressed as NBI agents clearly identified, he added.
Remulla said all entrances – Senate to GSIS and GSIS to Senate – since early morning of May 13 were being fortified by the GSIS maintenance.
“They had duly informed the maintenance of the Senate that there was going to be drilling going on in all the doors of the GSIS connecting to the Senate. So again, the Senate maintenance management had information that there was going to be fortification of doors in the GSIS area,” he said.
Asked if the NBI presence at the GSIS was also intended to prevent Dela Rosa from going through that route, Remulla said: “There are billions of pesos worth of artworks on display and if a mob appeared there and occupied, the damage would have been incalculable towards the GSIS.”
Nartatez said Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered 44 fired cartridges coming from four firearms.
“So, meaning we have four shooters.
And these four shooters (were) identified to be (Charlie Dumlao) Montilla of the OSAA and (Joemil Salazar) Ledesma of the OSAA and the warning shots made by Agent (Darwin Nicomedes) Francisco of the NBI,” Nartatez said.
Based on the PNP investigation, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca initiated the gunfire incident on May 13 by firing a warning shot at the NBI agent who was stationed at the GSIS premises.
Remulla said the gunfire from the NBI agent were cover fire on retreat, not warning shots.
“As you can see, Charlie Dumlao’s gun was identified. Ledesma’s was identified... Retired Police Major Aplasca was asked to appear today to the CIDG to turn over his firearms, but he refused to appear and gave an excuse,” Nartatez said.
He also showed a picture of a white Fortuner vehicle, which he said belongs to Sen. Robinhood Padilla, leaving the Senate.
“This is the picture of Bato during all the chaos but the last video… the last video please, that is them getting away,” he said.
Asked if the PNP has reported their findings to President Marcos, Remulla said, “He is in knowledge of these already but he has no instructions yet.”
Nartatez turned over the report to Vida, who said he already received a report from the NBI and turned it over to the panel of prosecutors who will be conducting the investigation.
In a separate forum in Manila, NBI director Melvin Matibag said their fact-finding work is nearly complete.
“The Senate was never under attack,” he stressed.
Matibag said individuals present at the GSIS complex were interviewed and a firearm discharged during the incident has been submitted for ballistic examination.
Additionally, some members of the media who were at the scene also executed statements regarding what they witnessed.
Matibag insisted no NBI agents entered Senate offices and said members of the media present at the scene could attest to that.
He said NBI personnel were at GSIS upon request of its officers and had legal basis for their presence.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano refused to comment yesterday following Malacañang’s press conference casting doubt on his remark that the Senate was under attack last week.
Media tried to interview Cayetano after the session yesterday but was told he would watch the Malacañang briefing first and comment today (Wednesday).
In an ambush interview after yesterday’s session, Sen. Raffy Tulfo said there was no attack because the warning shots that triggered the series of gunfire came from the suspended Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said he hoped for an impartial investigation that involved the Senate security and NBI agents.
Show of support
A group of retired NBI personnel expressed support for Matibag and agency operatives involved in the attempt to serve an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Sen. Ronald dela Rosa last May 13.
In a statement yesterday, the NBI Retirees and Ex-Employees Association Inc. said it was supporting Matibag and his team for what it described as efforts to uphold the rule of law in connection with moves to implement an arrest warrant issued by the ICC.
The group also criticized what it described as obstacles encountered by agents during the operation and alleged that Dela Rosa had been shielded from arrest while under Senate “protective custody.”
It also condemned the alleged discharge of firearms by Senate security personnel under suspended Aplasca during the incident, claiming the action endangered NBI agents, members of the media and others within the Senate complex.
The group further criticized efforts allegedly seeking Matibag’s removal from office, referring to calls by Sen. Imee Marcos to suspend or dismiss NBI personnel involved in the operation.
List of media
Meanwhile, ombudsman investigators have requested the Senate to submit a list of media practitioners who were onsite during the May 13 incident.
In a letter to Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau director Michael Caber, ombudsman field investigation bureau director Maria Melinda Mananghaya-Henson said this was for the ombudsman’s fact-finding investigation “on the shooting incident/armed confrontation, leading to the lockdown of the Senate on May 13-14.”
The ombudsman assured the Senate and the media that the documents and information requested “will be treated with utmost confidentiality.” — Mark Ernest Villeza, Marc Jayson Cayabyab
