Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano went live on Facebook Friday, May 15, to address mounting questions about the Senate’s role in the shooting incident two days earlier and the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte — declaring that NBI Director Melvin Matibag has been dishonest and should face the same scrutiny as the Senate’s acting sergeant-at-arms.
The Office of the Ombudsman has already moved to suspend acting Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca in connection with the May 13 gunfire. Cayetano urged the independent body to extend that measure to Matibag. “Let me just appeal to the Ombudsman, suspend also the NBI Director because he is more a suspect than Mao Aplasca,” he said. The Senate president went further, accusing the NBI chief of repeatedly misleading the President. “Sunod-sunod po ang kasinungalingan ni NBI director. I believe he’s lying to the President,” Cayetano said, addressing Matibag directly.
Cayetano’s position centers on what he described as confirmed admission — both from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and from Matibag himself — that the NBI was allowed inside the Senate compound on Monday, May 11, the same day Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa returned to the chamber after months of absence. “It has been confirmed, mismo ng OSAA, at mismong NBI director, na noong Lunes, pinayagan ‘yung NBI sa loob ng Senado para arestuhin si Sen. Bato dela Rosa,” Cayetano said, adding that the intention was to prevent dela Rosa from casting his vote. Dela Rosa’s vote on May 11 helped install Cayetano as Senate President, ousting incumbent Tito Sotto in a 13-9 vote.
The Senate president welcomed news that the Ombudsman plans to conduct an independent investigation into the incident. “I heard the Ombudsman will do an independent investigation, that is good news,” he said.
On the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, Cayetano pushed back against what he called deliberate disinformation about the majority bloc’s intentions. “Hindi totoo ang propaganda… na the new majority is here to stop the impeachment,” he said, rejecting claims that the leadership change in the Senate was orchestrated to protect any single individual. “Lahat ng kinakalat nila na ang lahat ng nagaganap ay para protektahan ang isa tao ay hindi katotohanan. Hindi kami magko-convict, mag-a-acquit dahil lang sa pulitika. Impartial impeachment trial, ‘yun ang balak naming gawin.”
Cayetano also addressed broader perceptions that disorder now defines the upper chamber. “Hindi po magulo ang Senado. Ginugulo ang Senado,” he said — drawing a distinction between the institution itself and those he accused of deliberately destabilizing it.
The Senate impeachment court is scheduled to convene Monday to begin hearing the articles of impeachment against the Vice President.
