The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have presented CCTV footage and a detailed timeline of the May 13 gun-related incident at the Senate, with authorities concluding that the legislative chamber was never under attack.
At a Palace briefing on Tuesday, May 19, DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla and PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. laid out the results of a six-day investigation by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). According to Remulla, “All evidence points that there was no attack on the Senate,” a position he repeated twice for emphasis.
According to the investigation, 29 NBI agents entered the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building — which sits adjacent to the Senate — at around 6:17 p.m. on May 13. Remulla maintained that none of the agents set foot inside the Senate building itself. He also noted that none of the NBI personnel were wearing tactical gear, which he said showed no intention to attack.
The NBI agents had been requested by GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso to help secure the complex after Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa called on supporters to hold a prayer vigil outside the Senate. According to Remulla, Veloso was concerned about protecting billions of pesos worth of artwork displayed in the GSIS building.
The CCTV footage also showed Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca issuing a “lock and load” order to OSAA personnel, Philippine Marines, and PNP officers before the shots were fired. According to Remulla, Aplasca opened a door leading to the GSIS side, asked “Sino ka?” and, after an NBI agent identified himself, fired three shots in the agent’s direction. The NBI agent retreated and, according to Remulla, fired back only because he believed he was under attack. Nartatez said investigators recovered 44 fired cartridges at the scene, which ballistic examination traced to four firearms — three from OSAA members including Aplasca, and one from the NBI.
Remulla flagged what he called “odd” behavior by Aplasca during the incident. According to the DILG chief, CCTV footage showed Aplasca pointing his firearm toward a window and attempting to discharge it — with the gun jamming twice before his aide helped him — and then firing, despite no one firing at them from that direction. Remulla also noted that Aplasca allowed members of the media to follow him and armed personnel into the area before the gunfire, rather than clearing civilians from harm’s way.
The DILG chief stopped short of concluding whether the incident was staged, saying the investigation did not support that conclusion definitively. The full CIDG report has been turned over to the Department of Justice, which is set to convene a panel of prosecutors to review the evidence.
The findings directly contradict the account given by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, who described the May 13 incident as an “attack” on the Senate. The Palace had earlier also rejected Cayetano’s characterization, with Press Officer Claire Castro saying the Senate was never under attack.
Aplasca, meanwhile, has been placed under preventive suspension by the Ombudsman and failed to appear before the CIDG to surrender his firearm when summoned.
