Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday denied allegations that the shooting incident inside the Senate on Wednesday night was a “diversionary tactic” allegedly intended to help Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa avoid a possible arrest linked to a reported International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
Cayetano dismissed the claims as “100 percent” false, saying no senator present during the incident had prior knowledge that the shooting would occur.
“I can tell you honest to goodness, none of the senators who were here last night knew that was going to happen, and the shots were fired from both sides,” Cayetano told reporters in a press briefing on Thursday, May 14.
He added that based on video footage and accounts from officials, gunfire appeared to have come from multiple directions within the Senate premises.
“And the shots were fired from both sides. I mean, you have the videos, guys, and even before umalis si Sec. Jonvic [Remulla], sa kabila daw may ano talaga. That’s why I asked for access sa OSAA [Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms] sa kabilang side ng building sa GSIS,” he added.
Earlier, Dela Rosa’s legal counsel, Atty. Israelito Torreon also rejected suggestions that the incident was staged as a diversion.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said Thursday that Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and retired Police Major General Mao Aplasca allegedly fired the first “warning shot” during the incident, prompting a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent to return fire.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said approximately six warning shots were fired by NBI personnel in response to what he described as an initial shot from an OSAA official.
Moreover, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators estimate “not less than 30” shots were discharged during the incident, adding that ballistic evidence suggests bullets originated from inside the Senate building.
The shooting occurred on the evening of May 13, 2026, amid heightened tensions surrounding reports of a possible arrest linked to the ICC investigation involving Sen. Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa is facing allegations connected to the controversial anti-drug campaign implemented during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The ICC has identified Dela Rosa as a “co-perpetrator” alongside Duterte in a crimes against humanity case tied to the government’s war on drugs during the former president’s term.
