Marcos: No government hand in Senate shooting incident, probe underway

National

“KALMA lang po.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the public to stay calm as he addressed the security incident inside the Senate of the Philippines where shots were fired on Wednesday night, May 13.

He said there was no involvement from the government in the incident and that authorities are now working to establish what happened.

“Asahan ninyo ang gobyerno ninyo hindi gagawin ito,” Marcos said.

A joint investigation is expected between the Senate and the Philippine National Police to determine the source of the disturbance and those responsible.

Marcos also denied any instruction from his office to arrest Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is facing a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, saying that legal processes are being followed through proper channels.

He further explained that after a Supreme Court development related to Dela Rosa’s petition, he ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to withdraw its personnel from the Senate. He said the directive was followed and that no NBI presence remained inside the chamber afterward.

Marcos stressed that no outside military units, police reinforcements, or NBI teams entered the Senate during the incident, and noted that authorities are still determining who attempted to enter the premises before the reported exchange of gunfire.

“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,” he added.

Security inside the Senate is handled by assigned Philippine National Police officers, members of the Marine detachment, and civilian personnel from the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, all responsible for maintaining order and securing the institution.

Marcos said he has already coordinated with Senate leadership, including Alan Peter Cayetano, and both sides agreed on conducting a joint inquiry to clarify whether the incident stemmed from an encounter or other causes.(MyTVCebu)