MANILA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Wednesday that the military personnel seen at the Senate complex were assigned as part of a security detail.
These soldiers are members of the Marine Security & Escort Group assigned for perimeter security at the request of the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, the AFP said in a statement.
Amid tensions surrounding reports of an attempted arrest of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, gunshots rang out inside the Philippine Senate complex on Wednesday night, triggering chaos and confusion inside the building. The situation later calmed down, according to Senate officials.
Both Philippine National Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. and National Bureau of Investigation director Melvin Matibag have denied that their personnel were behind the gunshots.
Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos said that the identity of those who led the disturbance and exchange of gunfire has yet to be known, and the authorities were gathering all the evidence and investigating.
