NBI asset, Senate security should be held liable, says Tulfo
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo called for a transparent investigation into the May 13 gunfire inside the Senate, saying accountability should not stop with the chamber's suspended security chief but should also include personnel at the National Bureau of Investigation involved in the incident.
In a statement Saturday, May 16, Tulfo said the Senate needed to establish the truth behind the shooting so the chamber could move past the crisis and return to its work.
"There should be a transparent investigation into what happened and the truth should come out so our work can return to normal and we can fulfill the mandate entrusted to us by the people," Tulfo said in Filipino.
Accountability on both sides
Tulfo said he recognized the Ombudsman's decision to suspend acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca, who admitted firing the first shot during the May 13 standoff despite the presence of Senate employees and journalists inside the complex.
But Tulfo said accountability should also extend to the NBI asset who allegedly fired back during the confrontation.
"On the other hand, the NBI asset who fired back toward members of the OSAA should also be held accountable," Tulfo said.
The Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, or OSAA, is responsible for Senate security.
The gunfire erupted amid a standoff involving Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who had been staying inside the Senate under chamber protection while facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, and government authorities who attempted to serve it.
The incident later raised broader questions about Senate security, the presence of armed NBI personnel near the complex and how Dela Rosa was eventually able to flee from Senate containment before dawn the next day.
"The integrity and credibility of the Senate should prevail over politics and personal interests," Tulfo said.
Pangilinan seeks answers
In a separate statement Thursday, May 14, Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan also called for clarity over the incident, saying the public deserved answers about what transpired inside the Senate complex.
"I want the Senate to be back on track," Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan also denied allegations circulating online that minority senators had prior knowledge of the unrest before the gunfire broke out.
"There are allegations that we in the minority were informed of an impending chaos. That's not true. I left the Senate early because I had a meeting outside the Senate," he said. — with John Marwin Elao
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