The Marcos administration on Monday pushed back against characterizations of last week’s Senate gunfire incident as an assault on the legislative chamber, with the Palace directly contradicting Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s public account of events.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, speaking at a press briefing, said the chamber had never come under attack. “Was it under attack? It was not. The Senate was not under attack; you can see that from the news, not only from statements of the NBI and PNP. It was only the statement made by Senator Alan Cayetano,” she said.
Castro added: “So as far as we are concerned, as far as the government is concerned, the Senate was never under attack.”
Earlier, the Palace had attributed the shooting to a warning shot fired by retired Police Major General Mao Aplasca, head of the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, after his team confronted National Bureau of Investigation agents on the GSIS property. The NBI agents were deployed to the GSIS premises at the request of GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso, who sought additional security amid the heightened tensions at the compound.
The shooting on the night of May 13 plunged the Senate into chaos, with gunfire audible to journalists broadcasting live from the second floor of the legislative building. Philippine National Police chief Melencio Nartatez reported approximately 30 shots were fired during the confrontation. No casualties were recorded.
Cayetano, in a statement the day after the incident, said the Senate “is under attack, was under attack.” The Palace’s Monday remarks effectively repudiated that framing, placing it squarely as an individual claim rather than an established fact.
The PNP arrested one man in connection with the shooting — identified as Mel Oragon, a volunteer driver for the NBI, who is suspected of discharging a firearm during the confrontation.
The incident unfolded against the backdrop of a standoff over the ICC arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. ICC prosecutors accuse Dela Rosa of conspiring with former President Rodrigo Duterte in alleged crimes against humanity during an anti-drug campaign that killed thousands. Dela Rosa subsequently fled the Senate complex following the shooting, after having sheltered there for two nights.
Authorities are investigating whether the incident was staged, with NBI Director Melvin Matibag confirming that the probe includes examining CCTV footage, conducting forensic analysis of bullet impacts, and interviewing those present. “We will use our forensic capabilities to determine what really happened,” Matibag said.
Senator Bam Aquino has filed Senate Resolution No. 397 seeking a separate legislative probe into the incident, citing “serious concerns” regarding security protocols, the Senate’s institutional integrity, and coordination among government agencies.
