Acting Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian said that the Senate’s heightened alert status will be retained, according to a Tuesday report by RH 28 Raymund Dadpaas.
This statement comes after a meeting with Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Committee on Defense Chair Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, and officials from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP).
The AFP and PNP have recommended that the alert status be maintained until the threats have been neutralized, Gatchalian said.
“So we met with AFP and PNP, para pag-usapan ito… Bottom line is they recommended for us to continue to be proactive and continue implementing ‘yung heightened security measures natin,” he told reporters.
In addition, the Senate president pro tempore said they have sought backing from the AFP and PNP for added intelligence and coordination until the situation has returned to normal.
“Humingi rin kami ng suporta sa kanila sa pagbibigay ng intelligence information dahil sila lang naman may intelligence information network. So tuloy-tuloy ang pagco-collaborate at coordinate namin,” he said.
Tight security protocols will be in place until tomorrow, Wednesday—the day of the special session—to ensure the safety of attending senators, employees, and members of the press.
Gatchalian added that they will be conducting a weekly security assessment with the help of the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA) and other law enforcement agencies.
Speaking to DZRH on June 9, Gatchalian revealed that the Senate has received intelligence reports about potential security threats to the institution. The OSAA was promptly instructed to carry out stricter security measures to ensure the safety of senators and employees.
Meanwhile, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano questioned the said intelligence reports from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), arguing that only a number of senators were informed, NBI Director Atty. Melvin Matibag’s purported “bias” in recognizing Gatchalian as the Senate’s “legitimate” leader, among other reasons.
