Cayetano to Ombudsman: Suspend NBI chief Matibag

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano called on the Ombudsman to suspend National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag over the recent shooting incident at the Senate.

Cayetano made the appeal Friday following Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla's announcement that Acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca will be placed under six-month preventive suspension after he admitted to firing warning shots to NBI agents.

"I heard the Ombudsman will do an independent investigation. That is good news but I also heard that he issued a suspension against General Mao," said Cayetano on Facebook live.

"Let me just appeal to the Ombudsman, suspend also the NBI Director because he is more a suspect than General Mao [Aplasca]," he said.

A lockdown was implemented at the Senate after gunshots were fired inside the premises on Wednesday evening. Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), had been recently placed under the protective custody of the Senate.

The Senate and the NBI have different versions of the Wednesday incident, with Cayetano insisting the chamber was "attacked." However, Matibag said the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) had requested their assistance to secure the building—the same building where the Senate holds office—before tensions erupted.

"Ang NBI po ay hindi taga-secure... Sunod-sunod na po ang kasinungalingan ni Matibag. I believe he's lying to the President. That is my personal belief. I believe he is giving him false narratives," Cayetano added.

(The NBI is not tasked to secure an area. Matibag is spewing lies. I believe he's lying to the President. That is my personal belief. I believe he is giving him false narratives.)

An initial investigation of the Department of the Interior Local Government showed 32 shots were fired during the shooting incident. Of the number, 27 were from the OSAA and 5 were from the NBI.

Malacañang said it was Aplasca who made the first "warning shot" during the incident at the Senate. Aplasca later confirmed the information.

GMA News Online reached out to Matibag for comment.

Meanwhile, Cayetano said the Office of the Ombudsman should have informed senators of its move, citing the need to appoint a new OSAA chief to secure the chamber amid the possible convening of the Senate as an impeachment court for the case of Vice President Sara Duterte.

"We do not want to set a bad example in the independent investigation and we do not want to put the Senate in harm's way," the senator added. — VDV, GMA News