Senator Erwin Tulfo on Sunday demanded that Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano clarify whether he authorized acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca to fire warning shots during a tense confrontation inside the Senate complex on May 13.
Speaking in a radio interview, Tulfo stated that the Senate minority bloc will press the chamber’s leadership for clear answers regarding the highly unusual discharge of firearms within the legislative building.
“Tatanungin ko siya sa Monday. Marami kaming itatanong sa minority. We have a lot of questions that need to be answered. Siguro si… Cayetano lang ang makakasagot sa Monday,” Tulfo said.
(“I will ask him on Monday. We in the minority have many questions. We have a lot of questions that need to be answered. Perhaps only Cayetano can answer on Monday.”)
The lawmaker sharply questioned the necessity of the warning shots, pointing out that professional law enforcement operations are strictly governed by standard rules of engagement.
“Why do you have to do a warning shot? Bakit? May rules of engagement ang (police). Pag nanganib lang ang buhay ng pulis, magwa-warning shot siya na parang, ‘Wag kayong lumapit. Otherwise, magpapaputok ako.’ Kaya gusto ko malaman. All of these will be raised on Monday,” he added.
(“Why do you have to do a warning shot? Why? The police have rules of engagement. Only when a cop’s life is in danger will he fire a warning shot as if to say, ‘Don’t come near. Otherwise, I will shoot.’ That is why I want to know. All of these will be raised on Monday.”)
Tulfo emphasized that the discharge of firearms caused undue alarm inside the building, noting that civilians, members of the media, and legislators are unaccustomed to such security volatility.
“Yung pagpapaputok, hindi naman tayo sundalo. Karamihan ng mga media, babae. Yung mga senador, hindi naman nakakarinig ng putukan yan maggaganun-ganun ka. We have a lot of questions on Monday that we will be asking the majority, particularly (Cayetano),” the senator remarked.
(“Regarding the gunfire, we are not soldiers. Most of the media members are women. The senators are not used to hearing gunshots like that. We have a lot of questions on Monday that we will be asking the majority, particularly Cayetano.”)
The controversy intensified after the Office of the Ombudsman placed Aplasca under a six-month preventive suspension without pay on Friday. The suspension stemmed from the official firing warning shots at an agent of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) who was stationed at the adjacent Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building.
In response to the escalating row between the two security forces, the Department of Justice has formed a special panel of prosecutors to formally investigate the armed standoff involving the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and the NBI.