Senate shooting staged? PNP investigates

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said investigators are looking into whether the alleged gunshot incident at the Senate on Wednesday night was "staged."

“Hindi po natin sinasabi na stage o hindi yung nasabi pong pangyayari...Kasama po lahat ng angulo na matatanggap po ng PNP,” said PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño.

(We are saying that we are looking into the inquiries from the DIDM about why the bullet trajectories are so high.)

The PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), meanwhile, questioned the unusually high trajectory of bullet shots, according to Tuaño.

“Sinasabi nga natin tinitingnan natin yung mga katanungan ng taga-DIDM na bakit mataas, yung mga trajectory ng bala,” he said.

(We are saying that we are looking into the inquiries from the DIDM about why the bullet trajectories are so high.)

“Ang makakasagot lang po niyan yung forensic. Malalaman natin iyan sa forensic report kung ito po ay nanggaling sa loob o sa labas,” he added.

(Only forensics can answer that. We will know from the forensic report whether it came from inside or outside.)

All personnel present during the incident, including security forces, were ordered to undergo paraffin tests, according to Tuaño.

PNP already increased police deployment in the Senate area from 400 to 1,400 personnel following the incident.

A driver employed at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has been arrested after several gunshots were heard inside the Senate, according to the police Thursday.

NBI director Melvin Matibag has previously said that there were no agents deployed at the Senate during the incident.

Police said the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) reported that its personnel only returned fire after the gunshots.

The incident happened amid the possible arrest of Senator dela Rosa after the International Criminal Court (ICC) released an arrest warrant against him in connection with the Duterte’s administration's drug war.

Dela Rosa is no longer in the Senate, a senator confirmed Thursday.

According to the lawmaker, a member of the Senate secretariat said Dela Rosa left the Senate premises early Thursday morning. The secretariat staff also said Dela Rosa exited at around 2:30 a.m. —VAL, GMA News