Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano strongly denied allegations that the gunfire incident inside the Senate complex was staged, insisting lawmakers and journalists were placed in real danger during what he described as an “armed attack.”
During a tense press briefing on Thursday, May 14, Cayetano raised his voice while rejecting online speculation questioning the authenticity of the incident that unfolded during heightened tensions surrounding Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“But I don’t think there’s any question. The Senate is under attack, was under attack,” Cayetano said.
“All of you, all of you. Your lives were in danger last night,” he told reporters covering the standoff.
Cayetano also disclosed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. personally assured him that the armed individuals involved were not connected to any government security agency.
“The president said, ‘It’s not government. It’s not the AFP. It’s not the PNP. It’s not the NBI,’” Cayetano said.
Despite this, the Senate chief openly expressed distrust toward the National Bureau of Investigation following the controversial attempt earlier in the week to arrest dela Rosa inside Senate premises.
“But I told him, ‘But Mr. President, we have a bad experience in the NBI. They haven’t been truthful with us,’” Cayetano added.
The Senate President criticized the NBI for allegedly failing to provide lawmakers copies of the arrest warrant and official reports connected to the attempted arrest operation.
Reading from information he said came from Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Cayetano claimed that 32 shots were exchanged during Wednesday night’s confrontation.
According to Cayetano, Senate security personnel fired 27 rounds while the opposing side allegedly fired five rounds near the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
He further alleged that armed agents had been deployed across several floors near the GSIS side of the Senate complex.
Cayetano narrated that a certain “Agent Francisco” carrying an AR-15 rifle was confronted by Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Roberto “Mao” Aplasca on a second-floor bridgeway.
According to Cayetano, Aplasca fired a warning shot after the armed individual allegedly stood up while carrying the rifle in a threatening manner.
He claimed the armed agent also discharged his weapon upward before fleeing the scene.
The National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police have both announced separate investigations into the gunfire incident.
The dramatic developments unfolded amid mounting political tensions involving dela Rosa’s ICC arrest warrant and the Senate’s preparations for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
