By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Amid uncertainty surrounding recent political developments, chaos ensued within the confines of the Senate after gunfire erupted in the moments leading to the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte from the House of Representatives late Wednesday.
Not long after the incident unfolded, the Senate was placed on lockdown as Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), troops from the Philippine Marines, and members of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms cautiously entered the area where the shooting took place.
In a video message, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called for calm and reassured the public that no government forces were involved in the situation, which involved shots being fired inside the Senate that hinted at a possible trespassing of an individual within the premises.
The President moreover clarified that the uniformed personnel seen by the media roaming within the government building are part of regular security forces assigned to the area.
President Marcos Jr. also declared that no directive was made to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who was recently reported to have left the Senate after a couple of events unfolded on Monday.
“Wala pong instruction kahit na kanino na hulihin si Senator Bato. At ang nangyari ang NBI ay sinabihan ko noong lumabas ‘yung resolution ng Supreme Court, mga alas kwatro ‘yun kaninang hapon, ay sinabi ko, ‘umalis na kayo diyan.’ Nag-comply naman sila.”
Meanwhile, in a more recent development on Thursday, the Southern Police District has named the alleged suspect — 44-year-old Mel Oragon, a driver employed at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), who was arrested in the Senate shooting incident.
Mr. Oragon is now under the custody of authorities, while police continue to investigate the possible motives behind the situation that unfolded late Wednesday.
This is in accordance with the Chief Executive’s mandate for a joint investigation by the Senate and the PNP to determine whether the incident was an isolated encounter or a deliberate attempt to cause disruption to legal processes.
The Senate shooting took place amid the backdrop of the impeachment trial against the second-highest government official, vis-à-vis an ICC warrant of arrest against Senator dela Rosa, among other hard-hitting national issues that rose into prominence in recent times.
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