A 44-year-old volunteer driver for the National Bureau of Investigation says he was on a simple errand to retrieve medicine when he found himself arrested in the chaotic aftermath of the May 13 Senate gunfire incident — and he insists he never once held a weapon.
The driver, who has served as an NBI volunteer since 2016 and an Army Reservist since 2012, gave his official statement before the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at the NBI headquarters at around midnight Tuesday. He was speaking publicly for the first time since his temporary release from the Pasay Police Detention Facility, where he had been held following his arrest on charges of direct assault and violation of the firearms law. A P116,000 bail funded by private donations secured his release.
He recounted being called back to the GSIS premises shortly after a post-operation briefing at the NBI office.
“Nakabalik na kami ng office noon, nagkaroon ng kaunting briefing ang mga ahente, more or less 30 minutes bigla akong tinawag, sinabihan nga ako na may naiwang bag. Isa sa kasamahan natin. Kailangang makuha kasi may mga gamot na laman. Kailangan ng may-ari,” he said.
Accompanied by a GSIS security guard to the second floor, he says police intercepted him before he could reach his destination.
“Biglang may sumalubong sa akin na pulis, so sinabi nung guwardya, ‘Sir, taga-NBI.’ Tinanong ako, anong ginagawa ko, ‘Sir, may hinahanap lang akong bag, naiwan,'” he recalled. He added that the guard eventually stayed behind at a canteen, leaving him to proceed alone — moments before officers closed in.
The driver flatly denies any involvement in the shooting.
“Wala po, wala akong pinaputok na anumang uri ng baril. Simula no’ng pumunta kami hanggang nakabalik po ako [sa NBI]. May video po na magpapatunay na wala po akong baril,” he told reporters.
Those denials sit uneasily against forensic findings. The Southern Police District confirmed that no firearm was recovered from him directly, but a sling bag found in his possession contained ammunition, a magazine, a jacket, a T-shirt, and an NBI badge. Police records also show he tested positive for gunpowder nitrates.
The driver disputes ownership of that bag entirely.
“Nagtaka po ako dahil never akong humawak ng baril no’ng araw na iyon hanggang makarating ako. Never ko pa po nahawakan ‘yung bag at never ko pa po nakita ‘yung bag na pinapabalikan sa akin. Nagulat nga po ako na iniuugnay sa akin dahil never ko pong nahawakan o nalapitan ‘yung bag,” he said.
He is also emphatic that he never entered the Senate building itself, maintaining that his arrest took place entirely on the GSIS side of the property.
His lawyer, Atty. Paolo Nieto, says the defense is now sifting through CCTV records and witness accounts with the aim of filing counter-charges against the arresting officers.
“We are also contemplating filing charges against those who are responsible for the questionable or possibly illegal arrest nung aming client. We are still collating evidence kasi ang dami nga namang ebidensya rito, maraming CCTV, maraming witnesses. We are sorting through that. We will make the move sometime soon,” Nieto said.
Nieto also cited the trauma the arrest has caused the driver and his family, pointing to video footage he says shows his client behaving calmly during the apprehension.
“There’s a video of him nung nahuli siya, and it really shows kung nasaan siya at kung paano siya umakto nung nahuli siya sa may GSIS side. Makikita naman na hindi siya nagpapaputok noon at makikita na civil ‘yung kanyang pakikipag-usap sa umaresto sa kaniya,” the lawyer said.
