By Benjamin Pulta and Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – Ombudsman Crispin Remulla on Friday announced a six-month preventive suspension slapped on acting Senate sergeant-at-arms Mao Aplasca over the gunfire incident inside the upper chamber building on Wednesday night.
Remulla said the suspension is without pay, adding that Aplasca’s admission that he was the first to fire a warning shot at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) operatives is “unacceptable behavior.”
“It’s worrisome if we will allow this to go unpunished. We cannot just ignore something of this magnitude,” Remulla said in a press briefing.
He said the Office of the Ombudsman will conduct an independent investigation, looking at possible charges of obstruction of justice, gross neglect of duty, aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice, and illegal discharge of a firearm against Aplasca.
“We do not tolerate that kind of behavior. We are in the process of forming a panel to issue (a) subpoena,” Remulla said.
According to the Philippine National Police’s initial investigation, not less than 30 shots were fired during the shooting incident that triggered commotion, particularly on the second floor near the Senate session hall.
“Sino sya, ano ang karapatan mo na gawin yun sa law enforcers (Who does he think he is, what right does he have to do that to law enforcers),” Remulla said, referring to Aplasca.
Remulla said they will also subpoena footage from all the media networks in connection with the incident.
He said the investigation will also include the NBI and PNP personnel who were present during the incident. No casualties were reported.
NBI officials suspension sought
Meanwhile, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano appealed to Remulla to also suspend NBI Director Melvin Matibag and NBI Organized and Transnational Crimes Division chief Jerome Bomediano in connection with the shooting incident.
Cayetano said the Senate must be formally informed so it can designate a replacement and ensure security continuity ahead of the Senate’s expected convening as an impeachment court on May 18.
“Let me just appeal to the Ombudsman, suspend also the NBI director because he is more a suspect than General Mao dito (here),” Cayetano said, adding that Bomediano should also be covered after a confidential agent allegedly pointed to the NBI official as the one who ordered the “attack.”
Senator Jinggoy Estrada, meanwhile, welcomed an impartial investigation and stressed the need to preserve the Senate’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.
“Kaya napakahalaga na mapreserba ang CCTV footage ng Senado upang magkaroon ng malinaw, patas at kumpletong larawan ng mga pangyayari (That is why it is important to preserve the Senate’s CCTV footage to have a clear, fair, and complete picture of the events),” Estrada said.
Estrada said the focus should be on facts, not speculation or politics, as he backed Cayetano’s call for the Senate to return to work and address the country’s urgent problems.
The shooting incident came amid tensions surrounding the supposed warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
The NBI and PNP earlier said they will wait for a definite Supreme Court ruling on dela Rosa’s petition to issue a restraining order against the arrest warrant from the ICC, where former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte is under trial for his deadly war on drugs.
Dela Rosa served as the PNP chief of Duterte’s administration. (PNA)
