Alan Cayetano urges independent probe into Senate shooting

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Saturday called for an impartial investigation into the shooting incident on the Senate premises last week.

In a Facebook Live, Cayetano said the incident should be addressed professionally.

“Let’s deal with it professionally. Let’s have an independent investigation. Let’s wait for all of the results,” he said.

“In the meantime, let us show the Filipino people that the Senate is the Senate,” he said.

The shooting incident occurred on the evening of May 13 amid heightened tensions at the Senate, where Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa had sought protective custody following reports of a possible arrest linked to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Authorities imposed a lockdown at the Senate complex after reports circulated that National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel were in the vicinity.

Gunshots were later heard inside the Senate building, triggering panic among employees and members of the media. No injuries were reported. The Philippine National Police (PNP) subsequently raised a full alert status and deployed additional personnel to secure the Senate premises.

PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Police Major General Robert Morico II said on May 20 that their probe found that there was “no attack” on the Senate.

He said the use of warning shots by the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) personnel was not allowed under existing rules governing private security services and even under police operational procedures.

Morico also said the investigators found no unlawful aggression on the part of the NBI personnel involved in the incident.

The CIDG also recommended the filing of charges against suspended acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca and two other Senate security personnel.

Cayetano urged leaders to shift focus toward pressing national concerns, including healthcare, education, and the rising cost of living.

He cited issues involving PhilHealth, access to medicines, and hospital capacity, as well as concerns over tuition and the availability of scholarships.

He also pointed to challenges faced by transport workers, including jeepney, taxi, and ride-hailing drivers, as well as those living in more remote or island communities.

The Senate chief flagged broader economic pressures, noting that rising fuel prices continue to drive increases in the cost of goods and services.

He also cited concerns over the peso-dollar exchange rate, which he said contributes to increasing costs for consumers.

Cayetano said addressing these issues would require stronger cooperation among leaders.

“When the problem is extraordinary, the solutions must also be extraordinary,” he said.

He called for unity across political lines, stressing that divisions could hinder efforts to address urgent national concerns.

“We have to have extraordinary unity,” he said.

Cayetano also cautioned the public against relying solely on social media narratives, noting that louder voices online do not necessarily reflect accurate information.

"Paulit-ulit nang napatunayan na ang mas maiingay… hindi ibig sabihin ay sila ang tama," he said.

(It’s been proven again and again that the noisier ones… don't mean they’re the correct ones.)

Drug war

Cayetano also said the Philippines’ anti-drug campaign under the Duterte administration should be viewed as “two sides of the coin."

“Allow me to give a very controversial example… there are two sides to the coin,” he said.

Cayetano explained that one perspective views the campaign against illegal drugs as a necessary response to crimes linked to narcotics, particularly the spread of methamphetamine or “shabu,” which he said has contributed to serious offenses.

“One view is that the spread of illegal drugs led to rape… led to families having a crisis… it led to murder,” he said.

He added that for many who supported the campaign, it was seen as a legitimate effort to protect communities.

“For many of those who were on the side of declaring war on drugs, it was not about extrajudicial killing… you have to do it the right way,” he said.

At the same time, Cayetano acknowledged the opposing view that raises concerns over alleged abuses, including claims that innocent individuals were killed or that drug dependents should have been rehabilitated instead.

“The other side… is saying many innocents were killed, or that those who were addicted should have been brought to rehab,” he said.

He said both sides often invoke the right to life to justify their positions, contributing to the intensity of the debate.

“So when you say right to life, everyone will claim that God is on their side,” he said.

Cayetano said a key issue in the discussion is whether alleged abuses were the result of policy.

“Was it a policy… or not? ” he said.

He added that he would not delve into the merits of the arguments but sought to illustrate why the issue remains deeply divisive and emotionally charged.

The Philippines’ anti-drug campaign, particularly during the Duterte administration, has been the subject of ongoing scrutiny from local and international bodies over allegations of extrajudicial killings, while supporters have pointed to its intent to curb crime and maintain public safety.

Earlier, the ICC had issued a warrant of arrest for dela Rosa after he was alleged to be a co-conspirator in the crimes against humanity charges in connection with the killings in the war on drugs of Rodrigo Duterte when he was mayor of Davao City and when he was president of the Philippines.

He has been included in the list of defendants after the tribunal unsealed the arrest warrant against him for crimes against humanity. —VBL, GMA News