Sherwin Gatchalian: NBI relayed alleged security threats to Senate

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday said he received information of an alleged security threat in the Senate.

According to Gatchalian, it was National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag who shared the information during Monday's Senate Blue Ribbon Committee consultative meeting.

"During the Blue Ribbon consultative meeting yesterday, NBI Director Melvin Matibag informed the sectors present that there is a potential threat to the Senate building and the Senate premises," the senator said in a message to reporters.

Gatchalian also said he is set to meet with the Senate Executive Committee, including the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA), to ensure the necessary security adjustments in the chamber.

"The security and safety of all senators and all Senate employees is paramount. We will make sure that our work environment is safe and secure," he added.

Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III said he also received the information.

"Yes, I overheard the report. Security measures are being planned," Sotto said.

Asked if the scheduled legislative inquiry will be suspended, he answered: "Depende. Let's wait for the recommendations of those involved in security."

"The threat is a clear and present danger; therefore, serious considerations must be taken," Sotto said.

Asked how serious the threat is, the senator said it is "very serious according to the intel."

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) spokesperson Police Major Hazel Asilo said, “At this time, we defer to official statements from Senate security and higher headquarters.”

“Rest assured, NCRPO maintains heightened situational awareness and is ready to provide support should it be required,” she said.

Malacañang, for its part, affirmed that the matter has yet to be validated and has been deferred to the proper authorities.

“Sa mga nagtatangka, dahil nga may nauulinigan po na ganitong mga security threats, kayo man ay senador o ordinaryong tao na nagsasagawa nito, hindi po kayo makakaligtas sa kamay ng batas,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press conference.

(To those who are attempting in relation to these rumored security threats, whether you are a senator or an ordinary person, you will not be able to escape the hands of the law.)

'Political instrument'

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday questioned the credibility of the alleged security threat and why only select senators were briefed on the matter.

He also sought clarification on its nature, the basis for its assessment, and the evidence supporting it, casting doubt on the NBI as its source.

“In every functioning legislature, and in our own experience, a genuine threat to the institution is shared across the entire body,” Cayetano said.

“The moment a ‘security threat’ is briefed to some and withheld from others, it ceases to be a security matter and becomes a political instrument,” he added.

Cayetano also raised questions on the timing of the issuance of the threat, noting that his faction's Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, led by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, is set to hold another hearing on alleged anomalous flood control projects on Thursday, June 11.

He said the Senate should continue its legislative work while ensuring that any security concerns are properly assessed.

“The surest test of whether a threat is genuine and not a pretext is simple—a real threat is used to protect the Senate’s work, never to suspend it,” he said.

“We will not permit the safety of this institution to become the instrument for silencing it. The Senate works best when it is independent, transparent, and guided by facts rather than fear," he said.

"Anything less invites the legitimate suspicion that information is being used to manage narratives, pressure the institution, and bring it under greater external control,” Cayetano added.

The senator also reiterated the need for transparency and accountability, particularly in the ongoing scrutiny of billions of pesos in flood control funds, while expressing hope for a secure and independent Senate.

“The Senate must not become a stage where narratives are managed. It must remain a forum where truth is pursued,” he said.

Cayetano said the issue goes beyond political alignments or Senate leadership, but the need to uncover the supposed truth behind the alleged flood control scandal.

“Because in the end, this is not about personalities, not about blocs, not even about who leads the Senate. It is about whether the truth behind the flood control scandal will finally come out," he said.

"That is the question before us. And that is why the Filipino people are watching,” Cayetano added.—AOL/RF/MCG, GMA News