PNP: OSAA gunshots during Senate shooting was 'overkill'

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday described as "overkill" the amount of shots fired by Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) personnel during the Senate shooting on May 13.

In a press briefing, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Police Major General Robert Alexander Morico II said ballistic and trajectory analysis indicated excessive firing from OSAA personnel.

"Based on the investigation conducted by our investigators, basically overkill. That's why we call it panic firing," Morico said.

"Because 'yung mga tama po doon ng mga bala makikita natin through the glass window ay sobra-sobra 'yung pinaputok doon ng OSAA na wala namang umaatake sa kanila. Because kung makikita po ninyo doon na puro pataas 'yung trajectory ng mga putok nila is puro paakyat," he added.

(Because we can see through the glass window that OSAA fired too many shots when no one was attacking them. Because if you can see, the trajectory of their shots is all going up.)

Authorities said a total of 44 fired cartridge cases were recovered from the crime scene, including 36 inside the Senate premises and eight outside near the GSIS bridgeway.

Four firearms were involved in the exchange of gunfire, according to Morico.

Ballistics examination showed that 26 fired cartridge cases were from a 9 mm pistol used by suspended Acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca. Nine were from .40-caliber and four from another 9 mm used by two other OSAA personnel.

Five fired cartridge cases were from 5.56 rifle used by a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent.

On Wednesday, the CIDG said it is recommending the filing of charges against Aplasca and two other Senate security personnel for violating the Private Security Services Industry Act. — VDV, GMA News