Police on Wednesday recommended the filing of criminal charges against suspended Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca and two of his men over the May 13 shooting incident at the Senate.
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II said investigators found no legal basis for Aplasca’s use of firearms under Republic Act No. 11917 or the Private Security Services Industry Act.
Aplasca, however, accused authorities of splicing the CCTV footage of last week’s shooting incident to “support their narrative.”
“We are preparing the complete video, because what they did, they spliced the videos and they just selected the videos that will support their narrative. That’s not correct,” Aplasca said.
Aplasca, who hails from Davao, is a mistah or Philippine Military Academy classmate of Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa, who escaped from the Senate complex early Thursday dawn after the shooting incident.
CCTV footage had timestamps
Malacañang, however, took exception to Aplasca’s claim, saying the CCTV footage itself came from the Senate.
“What was presented during Tuesday’s briefing came directly from the Senate…Whatever evidence they have, the DILG, the DOJ, and the Ombudsman will need that so we can see the whole truth,” Presidential Communications Office Usec. Claire Castro said.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla added the CCTV footage included timestamps that would make tampering difficult.
“Everything had timestamps so it couldn’t have been spliced,” Remulla said.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. added the investigation into the May 13 Senate gunfire incident was guided by strict reliance on physical and digital evidence, including CCTV footage and ballistic analysis.
“By prioritizing factual analysis — including ballistics and digital forensics — over speculation, our teams ensured that we provided the Filipino people with clear, objective answers in record time, proving that the PNP remains a highly capable and responsive institution,” Nartatez said.
In a joint briefing at the Palace, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice and Philippine National Police released CCTV footage showing Aplasca firing shots at an NBI agent who did not raise his firearm.
Remulla said based on the footage, the Senate was “not under attack” and Aplasca fired his gun two more times when “nobody was there.”
‘Aplasca may have been fed wrong info’
According to Morico, the CIDG would forward its findings and recommendations to the DOJ for review and possible action.
He said the investigation is also focused on identifying individuals who may have provided Aplasca with inaccurate information that contributed to the confrontation.
“There are functions, especially security, you have to verify the story first. So, when you feed wrong information which led sir Aplasca to conclude to lock and load and everything, confront without asking, we have to find out,” Morico said.
He said the incident might have been avoided if communication between the Senate security office and the Government Service Insurance System security personnel, who sought help from the NBI, had been properly coordinated.
Meanwhile, Senator Raffy Tulfo filed a resolution pushing for the OSAA to implement comprehensive capacity-building training programs and establish a formal operations manual.
Tulfo underscored various operational issues, including concerns about internal security protocols, emergency response strategies, perimeter management, inter-agency collaboration, and command responsibility.
“Reports regarding confusion during the incident, including alleged warning shots, lockdown procedures, movement control, and differing accounts from involved parties, underscore the necessity for clearer operational standards, updated coordination mechanisms, and institutionalized protocols governing interactions between the OSAA and external law enforcement agencies,” Tulfo said.
“It is imperative for the Senate to institutionalize a professionalized operational framework that clearly defines protocols, command responsibility, communication systems, use-of-force guidelines, emergency procedures, evacuation procedures, coordination mechanisms with law enforcement agencies, and standards of conduct for all OSAA personnel,” he added.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated. Originally posted with the headline “CIDG endorses raps vs. Aplasca over gunfire.”
