Newly-installed acting chief of the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA), retired Police Major General Mao Aplasca, said tighter security measures will be implemented for all Senate employees and visitors entering the Senate premises amid the continued stay of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa under Senate protective custody.
According to a report by RH Raymund Dadpaas on DZRH's Damdmaing Bayan, the heightened security protocols were implemented following a motion filed by Senator Rodante Marcoleta seeking protective custody for Dela Rosa, who has remained inside the Senate building.
Aplasca, who previously served in the same position, said all individuals entering the Senate compound would undergo stricter identification checks similar to procedures implemented during elevated security alerts in government buildings.
“Medyo security will be a little tight lang. Check I.D., the usual stuff during the elevated status,” Aplasca said.
As of Tuesday, blue guards were stationed at the Senate’s main entrance to inspect incoming vehicles, while additional personnel monitored pedestrian entry points.
Meanwhile, newly inducted Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had assured him that no arrest operation would take place inside the Senate premises.
Cayetano also declared that he would not allow the arrest of Dela Rosa within the Senate at any time.
On the sixth floor of the Senate building, where Dela Rosa was believed to have spent the night, barricades and access restrictions were put in place for unauthorized personnel. OSAA officers were also deployed to guard the area.
At Dela Rosa’s office on the fifth floor, two suitcases reportedly containing personal belongings of the senator’s family were brought in after some family members also stayed overnight at the Senate.
Dela Rosa earlier said on Monday, upon his return to the Senate after November 11, 2025, that he intended to pursue legal remedies, particularly through the Supreme Court, where he expects a ruling on any petition he may file.
The senator also said he had not collected his salary since he went into hiding and suggested the Senate could instead use the funds for other purposes.
Meanwhile, Aplasca’s predecessor, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Edgardo Rene Samonte, has stepped down from his post, a development confirmed by Cayetano. Samonte resigned following the attempted arrest of Dela Rosa, which prompted several senators to question how the incident was handled.
Dela Rosa later moved to designate Aplasca as acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, a motion that was subsequently approved by the Senate.
Cayetano also confirmed that nine NBI personnel cited in contempt had been placed under protective custody and would remain under the supervision of the NBI director instead of being detained inside the Senate.
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