MANILA: Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Saturday (May 16) said the Senate did not want to accept a subpoena for a copy of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the Senate shooting incident last Wednesday (May 13).
In a press conference on Friday, Remulla said he issued the subpoena as part of an investigation of the shooting incident. Along with the subpoena addressed to the Senate, he said his office will ask for the footage of the reporters who covered the incident.
“We have a problem with this. The Senate did not want to accept our process server but there was already a notice,” Remulla said in a dzRH radio programme.
“[Senate President] Allan Cayetano said that [National Bureau of Investigation director Melvin] Matibag should also be charged. It means that they already know the suspension but they don’t want to accept it. I can’t understand because for me, it is already considered served even if they did not accept it because they have a notice,” he added.
Remulla also announced on Friday that he ordered the six-month preventive suspension of acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Ma. O Aplasca. He said that the order had been sent to the Senate and was effective immediately with no pay.
This prompted Cayetano to call on Remulla to suspend Matibag as well, noting that the NBI director “is more (of) a suspect than General Mao here.” Cayetano said that any individual, just like Aplasca, would have done the same in firing the first warning shot if armed men approached them.
Remulla again criticised Aplasca for the warning shot, saying that he was not above the law, as he was tasked to secure the Senate and make sure that rules are followed.
“To fire a warning shot against the law enforcement, you think that you are above the law already but nobody is above the law. I’m sorry. Even if you work for the Senate, nobody is above the law. We can’t allow anyone to neglect the NBI and the police,” Remulla added.
Remulla on Friday also said his office will conduct a separate investigation of the shooting incident where “everyone who was present” will be invited, including senators, reporters, NBI, Philippine National Police, and the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Aplasca has admitted that he was the first to fire a warning shot at an agent of the NBI within the vicinity. Aplasca said the gunshot was returned after their verbal warning, which resulted in an exchange of gunfire.
Aplasca said that it was “unusual for NBI not to coordinate” with them when in the vicinity even if they are in the adjacent Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building.
In a press conference on Thursday, Palace press officer Claire Castro said GSIS president and general manager Wick Veloso requested assistance from the NBI to secure the GSIS building amid the tension from the possible arrest of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
