MANILA, Philippines — Former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca has formally submitted his counter-affidavit at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with a direct assault complaint filed by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
The complaint stems from a shooting incident at the Senate premises on May 13, which reportedly transpired as Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa exited protective custody under the Senate leadership of then-Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano. The confrontation involved personnel from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Aplasca previously admitted to firing the initial shot during the altercation, which was succeeded by gunfire from an NBI agent.
Appearing before prosecutors for the launch of the preliminary investigation, Aplasca opted not to issue detailed statements to reporters regarding his defense.
According to DOJ Spokesperson Polo Martinez, the PNP-CIDG has been given until November 6 to file its reply-affidavit.
“Mao Aplasca, as well as the two other respondents, forming part of the OSAA, will also have the chance to file their rejoinder-affidavit in response to any new allegation in their reply,” Martinez stated.
Martinez added that should the CIDG fail to submit a reply, the preliminary investigation will be deemed submitted for resolution. While the DOJ spokesperson confirmed that the complaint centers on an alleged assault against a person in authority, he withheld the specific identity of the individual, noting that the detail pertains to the merits of the case.
Parallel to the DOJ proceedings, the Office of the Ombudsman previously ordered Aplasca’s dismissal from service over allegations of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty tied to the same incident. The separate direct assault allegations remain under formal evaluation by state prosecutors.