Department of Justice (DOJ) Acting Secretary Fredderick Vida on Tuesday assured the public of a thorough and impartial probe into the recent gunfire incident inside the Senate premises after the Philippine National Police (PNP) submitted its investigation report.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. formally turned over the records of investigation to Vida during a Palace press briefing.
“The Philippine National Police will now turn over the records of investigation pertaining to the discharge of firearm or shooting incident at the premises of the Senate building last May 13, about 7:46 pm,” Nartatez said.
He said all investigation records, including reports from the Pasay City police, documents related to the security coordination between the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and Sen. Ronald dela Rosa’s exit from the Senate building have been turned over to the DOJ for case evaluation.
Vida said the NBI also submitted its separate incident report earlier Tuesday, adding that evidence turned over by both agencies would be transmitted to the DOJ’s panel of prosecutors that will conduct an investigation.
“I turned it over to the panel of prosecutors who will be conducting the investigation,” he said. “In similar route, it will go to the panel and it will all be evaluated.”
Vida said the investigation would cover the totality of circumstances from May 11 to May 14.
He assured the public that the DOJ would conduct a fair investigation by verifying all evidence, including videos, timelines and witness accounts.
“Nakita ninyo naman mga kababayan ko (As you have seen, my fellow countrymen), compelling iyong (the) facts that have been unearthed but we still need to verify and validate. The DOJ will not take this as is. We will check on the timelines, we will check on the source of the videos and everything. Kasi sa dulo nito, kailangan iyong katotohanan lang (Because at the end of this, only the truth is needed),” he said.
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has already been informed about the developments.
“He (Marcos) is in knowledge of these already, but he has no instructions yet,” he said, when asked whether the matter had been reported to the President.
During the briefing, Remulla stressed that the NBI personnel deployed during the incident were stationed within the GSIS compound and not inside the Senate building.
He said the deployment was meant to prevent possible unrest from spilling into the GSIS area where valuable artworks are displayed.
“The only conclusion is that there was no attack to the Senate,” Remulla said, while emphasizing that authorities could not yet determine whether the incident was staged.
Nartatez noted that investigators recovered 44 fired cartridges traced to four firearms.
He said police would again invite Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms acting chief Mao Aplasca to appear before investigators to identify the source of the 23 fired cartridges recovered from the area.
“We have pulled the empty shells except for the 23 – 23 empty shells. ‘Yung 23 empty shells na ‘yun ay fired (The 23 empty shells fired came) from one firearm,” Nartatez said.
“We have CCTVs (closed-circuit television), the CCTVs will clearly identify who fired the guns, who fired guns. And we have also testimonies from themselves also saka mga ibang (and other) personalities present during the discharges of firearms,” he added.
Nartatez also confirmed that police records showed Dela Rosa leaving the Senate premises around 2:30 a.m. on May 14 aboard a white Toyota Fortuner reportedly owned by Sen. Robin Padilla. (PNA)