Who is Mao Aplasca, the acting OSAA head?

Retired Police Major General Mao Aplasca was tapped again to head the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Monday after agents of the National Bureau of Investigation tried to serve Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa the warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court.

Aplasca replaced retired Air Force Major General Rene Samonte, whom Dela Rosa reprimanded for allowing NBI agents inside the Senate grounds.

On Wednesday, the new OSAA chief told reporters they are going to arrest somebody amid confusion on the possible serving of the arrest warrant against Dela Rosa. Aplasca did not elaborate on his statement.

Later that evening, gunshots rang out at the Senate amid the lockdown. Authorities said it was Aplasca who fired the first warning shot.

So, who is Aplasca?

Aplasca and Dela Rosa both entered the Philippine Military Academy in 1982. Dela Rosa graduated in 1986 while Aplasca is a member of Class 1987.

In a speech in July 2025 when Dela Rosa nominated Aplasca as Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, the senator said the latter helped him survive their PMA days, because they are both from Davao City who can hardly speak Tagalog.

Aplasca served as Senate Sergeant-at-Arms from July 2025 to February 2026 when Samonte was elected as the new head of OSAA.

He also previously worked as Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives from 2020 to 2021. He resigned in December 2021.

In 2022, he was appointed to lead the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) until he tendered his courtesy resignation in 2023 over theft incidents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

He first joined OTS, after he retired from the police force, as director for policy and program service and later as deputy administrator.

During his stint in the PNP, Aplasca served as the director of the Aviation Security Group in 2016 and police director of the Police Regional Office 4A (Calabarzon) in 2017. —Llanesca Panti/AOL, GMA News