President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the government was not involved in the gunfire incident inside the Senate of the Philippines, where several shots were reportedly heard amid tensions surrounding the possible arrest of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa.
In a video statement, Marcos said there was no order from the government to arrest dela Rosa, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
“Walang pumasok na tigalabas na sundalo, na militar, na NBI sa Senado. Hindi po natin alam kung sino yung sumubok na pumasok at saka dahil doon ay nagkaputukan,” Marcos said.
The President said he had earlier ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to leave the Senate premises following the Supreme Court’s action on dela Rosa’s petition seeking to stop his arrest.
“Ang NBI ay sinabihan ko nung lumabas yung resolution nu’ng Supreme Court mga 4 yun kaninang hapon; sinabi ko ‘umalis na kayo diyan’ at nag-comply naman sila,” he said.
Marcos clarified that only Senate security personnel, police officers assigned to the Senate, Marines, and members of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms were authorized to be inside the building at the time of the incident.
He also appealed for calm and said a joint investigation by the Senate and the Philippine National Police is underway to determine what triggered the shooting.
“Nais kong mapaalam na sa lahat ng ating mga kababayan itong pangyayari na ito ay tayo’y maging kalma lang po,” Marcos said after speaking with Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
“Aalamin natin kung sino ang gumawa nitong gulo na ito. Ito ba ay talagang nagkaengkwentro lang o ito ba ay may kasama sa mga destab o nagsusimula ng gulo?” he added.
The incident came amid heightened political tensions following the public release of the ICC arrest warrant against dela Rosa and his continued stay under Senate protective custody.
