In that prolonged burst of gunfire in an enclosed space, it was remarkable that no one was reported injured on Wednesday night at the Senate, where Sen. Ronald dela Rosa was under the so-called protective custody of his allies in the new majority.
Dozens of shots were reportedly fired by heavily armed Senate security teams, mostly as warning and allegedly prompting retaliation from agents of the National Bureau of Investigation who were suspected to be out to serve an arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court for Dela Rosa.
NBI officials, however, clarified that their personnel were in the building complex merely to secure the offices of the Government Service Insurance System, which owns the property, upon the request of the GSIS management.
President Marcos himself said he had instructed the NBI not to apprehend Dela Rosa after the Supreme Court did not issue a temporary restraining order the senator had sought against the enforcement of the ICC arrest order.
Amid speculation that the gunfire was staged as a diversion to allow Dela Rosa to leave the chamber, new Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano heatedly insisted that the Senate came under attack, prompting the warning shots. Such shots are normally prohibited under security engagement protocols in enclosed spaces because of the obvious danger posed to people.
As of yesterday, Dela Rosa, who is wanted by the ICC on charges of murder as a crime against humanity, had left the Senate, with his whereabouts once again unknown.
The person who landed behind bars was a gofer of the NBI, who was apprehended as he reportedly tried to get a bag of an NBI official from the Senate premises. Police said the “volunteer” worker would face charges of alarm and scandal, among several cases.
Meanwhile, no one was arrested among Dela Rosa’s supporters who were shown on video assaulting the vehicle of Sen. Vicente Sotto III as he exited the Senate premises. Sotto slammed the security forces at the gates for failure to enforce order.
The Senate teems with surveillance cameras, and video recordings could help uncover the truth behind that gunfire. There’s enough confusion and the nation deserves clarity on such unprecedented violence in the halls of the Senate.