Obstruction raps eyed over Bato’s escape

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Ombudsman are investigating a possible obstruction of justice complaint over the escape of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa from the Senate, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said over the weekend.

Matibag said NBI agents involved in the incident had submitted their affidavits to the ombudsman as part of the investigation.?

“One of the cases now being studied by the ombudsman, together with the NBI and the Department of Justice, is obstruction of justice concerning the incident at the Senate of the Philippines,” Matibag told GMA News on Saturday.

He said the affidavits had earlier been submitted during the DOJ investigation and could be used as testimonial evidence if charges are filed.

“If there are cases to be filed in whichever court, whether the Sandiganbayan or another court, these affidavits will be used as testimonial evidence, and our agents will cooperate in the proceedings,” Matibag said.

He said the NBI agents’ testimonies would be supported by independent witnesses and physical evidence, including media accounts and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.

“The testimony of the NBI will matter a lot. There are also independent personalities who will testify, including members of the media. Aside from that, we have object evidence, CCTV footage and videos captured by the media,” he said.

The probe stemmed from the May 13 shooting incident at the Senate, where 12 to 15 gunshots were heard during a standoff between Senate security personnel and NBI agents searching for Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa had been staying inside the Senate amid an impending arrest over an International Criminal Court warrant related to the previous administration’s drug war.

Dela Rosa left the Senate  with Sen. Robinhood Padilla early on May 14.

A DOJ special prosecutor panel later concluded that the Senate had not been under attack and that the actions of then-acting Senate sergeant-at-arms Mao Aplasca were not justified.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla dismissed Aplasca on June 25 for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty over the shooting incident.?

The ombudsman is expected to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to bring charges before the courts.