Acting Senate President and Senate President Pro Tempore Win Gatchalian confirmed that the Senate will remain under a heightened alert status following recent consultations with security officials.
Gatchalian met with former Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, alongside representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), to assess the institution’s current safety climate.
According to Gatchalian, the state security agencies advised the upper chamber to sustain these defensive precautions until existing threats are fully resolved.
“So we met with AFP and PNP, para pag-usapan ito… Bottom line is they recommended for us to continue to be proactive and continue implementing ‘yung heightened security measures natin,” he informed reporters.
To bolster the chamber’s safety, Gatchalian noted that the Senate leadership has requested enhanced intelligence support and tighter operational coordination with military and police forces until the situation stabilizes.
“Humingi rin kami ng suporta sa kanila sa pagbibigay ng intelligence information dahil sila lang naman may intelligence information network. So tuloy-tuloy ang pagco-collaborate at coordinate namin,” he said.
The stringent security protocols are set to persist through Wednesday—coinciding with a scheduled special session—to ensure the safety of senators, legislative staff, and the press corps.
Furthermore, Gatchalian announced that the Senate Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA) will collaborate with law enforcement to conduct recurring weekly security assessments.
These measures were initially implemented after the Senate received intelligence warnings regarding potential risks.
While the current leadership has moved forward with these protective steps, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has expressed skepticism regarding the threats. Cayetano questioned the credibility of the information provided by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), citing concerns over limited disclosure to Senate members.
He also questioned the impartiality of NBI Director Melvin Matibag, pointing to the director’s public recognition of Gatchalian’s Senate leadership.