Authorities are examining possible lapses and accountability within Senate security procedures following the May 13 gun-related incident and the controversial exit of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, with officials signaling that responsibility may extend beyond field operatives to Senate leadership structures.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said investigators are trying to establish who authorized suspended Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) chief Mao Aplasca to carry out an arrest inside the chamber, a move that has raised questions about the internal chain of command during the incident.
Remulla said Aplasca’s earlier statement about a planned lockdown and arrest has become a key point of inquiry, as authorities assess whether proper protocols were followed and whether instructions were validly issued.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has linked the shooting incident to Dela Rosa’s subsequent exit from the Senate, a position also acknowledged by Remulla as part of the ongoing fact-finding.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said several senators from the majority bloc are being looked into in connection with allegations that they facilitated Dela Rosa’s departure despite a heavy police presence at the Senate premises.
Authorities have already forwarded a complaint for obstruction of justice against Sen. Robinhood Padilla and five other individuals to the Department of Justice for preliminary evaluation.
“All of them. Yes. The records of investigation have been forwarded to the DOJ,” Nartatez said, noting that prosecutors will determine whether sufficient evidence exists for formal charges.
The probe has now broadened into a closer examination of institutional accountability inside the Senate, particularly how security directives are issued, enforced, and coordinated with law enforcement during politically sensitive operations.
