Wife of arrested NBI volunteer maintains husband's innocence

The wife of a volunteer of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) who was arrested following a shooting incident at the Senate has maintained her husband’s innocence.

According to Mariz Umali’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, the suspect – identified as “Mel Oragon” – was apprehended after the incident and already underwent inquest proceedings for violating Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition, alarm and scandal, direct assault, trespass to property, and violation of Senate security.

“Based on our initial report, he was found in possession of firearms that are yet to be identified. We are still waiting for the results from SOCO,” said Southern Police District spokesperson Police Lieutenant Margaret Panaga.

The suspect also underwent a paraffin test to determine if he fired a gun.

His wife said he has nothing to do with the shooting incident at the Senate building on Wednesday night.

“My husband is innocent. He doesn’t have a gun. People from the NBI, please have mercy, please help my husband. Don’t abandon him,” she said.

The suspect’s lawyer maintained that his client is just a volunteer and not a regular employee of the NBI.

“He’s just a driver… Of one of the NBI agents. So he’s part of the non-operational staff and not one of the NBI operatives,” lawyer Paolo Nieto said.

Nieto added that his client was not arrested at the Senate, but rather at the GSIS area right adjacent to the Senate building.

“When he was arrested, he was reportedly at the GSIS side looking for a bag that was left behind. He said that he coordinated with GSIS security to help him find the missing bag,” the lawyer said.

The NBI already denied that they had personnel at the Senate premises at the time of the incident.

However, Senator Imee Marcos claimed in a Facebook Live video that someone from the NBI was arrested.

“The NBI agent said they were personally and directly ordered by BBM: ‘Arrest Bato at all costs, regardless of who dies or who gets caught in the crossfire, as long as Bato is made to surrender immediately,’” the senator said in her video on Wednesday night.

The suspect declined to give a comment.

“He didn’t say anything like that. As I’ve said, he is merely operational support. He is not an operative. So he isn’t looped in on those kinds of things regarding what the actual instructions are,” Nieto said. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/JMA, GMA News