Tito Sotto dismayed over failed crowd control outside Senate

Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto expressed his dismay with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other security personnel after failing to manage the crowd outside the Senate building on Wednesday.

Sotto said that he was assaulted while inside his vehicle.

“I am furious and disappointed with the PNP and other security personnel assigned outside the Senate for failing to control the rowdy and unruly crowd, allowing them to assault me while inside my vehicle when I was about to exit the Senate,” he said in a statement posted on his Facebook account.

“The barbaric protesters banged my vehicle repeatedly, threw bottles and cursed foul remarks. They can see that I am driving alone with no bodyguards,” Sotto added.

The tension at the Senate developed after the Supreme Court (SC) did not issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) sought by Dela Rosa, who is facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged involvement in former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

Dela Rosa is currently under Senate’s protective custody.

Sotto expressed his frustration over the law enforcers available at that time.

“Ilang truck na PNP ang nakadeploy sa Senate, tapos ganito? Ganito na ba kawalang respeto at walanghiya ang mga taga suporta ng ilang Senador na nag rarally ngayong gabi?” he added.

(Several trucks of PNP personnel are deployed at the Senate, and yet this happens? Is this how disrespectful and shameless the supporters of some Senators rallying tonight have become?)

Gunshots were later heard inside the building, but authorities said that no one was hurt and they are still identifying those who fired the shots.

The PNP raised the full alert status amid the tensions at the Senate premises on Wednesday evening.

On the other hand, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that the military personnel seen inside the Senate building are Marine Security & Escort Group (MSEG) personnel. — BAP, GMA News