Suspended Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca claimed on Wednesday that CCTV videos released following last week’s shooting incident inside the Senate were allegedly “spliced” to support a specific narrative.
“We are preparing the complete videos, as to what they did, they spliced the videos. And they just selected the videos that will support their narrative. And I think it’s not correct,” Aplasca said in an interview with reporters.
Aplasca insisted that some footage released publicly failed to show the full context of the incident.
“Yung sabi nila walang attack. Bigyan niyo kami ng konting panahon,” he added.
[Translation: They’re saying there was no attack. Give us a little more time.]
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla denied Aplasca’s allegations and maintained that the videos came directly from Senate CCTV servers.
“No, not at all. May timestamp naman lahat eh, so it couldn’t have been spliced. Those were direct from CCTV cameras of the Senate, their servers,” Remulla said.
[Translation: No, not at all. Everything has timestamps, so it couldn’t have been spliced.]
“And hindi pwedeng spliced ‘yun dahil may timestamp din siya,” he added.
[Translation: It cannot be spliced because it has timestamps.]
Aplasca also said he was not surprised by the possible filing of criminal charges against him in relation to the May 13 shooting incident.
“It is expected,” he said.
The Philippine National Police earlier recommended the filing of charges against Aplasca and two other Senate security personnel over possible violations of rules of engagement and provisions of Republic Act No. 11917 or the Private Security Services Industry Act.
According to Aplasca, he has yet to appear before the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group despite subpoenas issued against him and other Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms personnel.
“It is not true we were withholding evidence — CCTV, firearms,” he said.
Aplasca also confirmed that a security coordination meeting involving representatives from the GSIS Security Office was held inside the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms on May 12, a day before the incident.
“Our meeting is about the impending impeachment security preparation. I invited the security manager of GSIS, he was there. He didn’t say anything about the NBI’s arrival here,” he said.
The controversy stemmed from the May 13 incident inside the Senate building where live television footage captured gunshots and people running for cover while Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was inside the premises under Senate protective custody amid an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano earlier described the incident as an attack on the Senate, while Remulla said initial findings showed no evidence that the chamber was under siege.
