Senate sergeant

MANILA, Philippines — Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Thursday said Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca first fired a warning shot at a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent, who was at the premises of the Government Service Insurance System where the Senate is located.

After this, the NBI agent fired back.

At a briefing a day after the chaos that ensued in the Senate, Castro explained that GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso requested assistance from the NBI to secure the GSIS building amid tensions triggered by the supposed arrest of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

NBI agents arrived at the GSIS building at around 6 p.m.

The Senate and GSIS share a property and are connected through a bridge, the key to which is held by the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA).

“When the OSAA saw that there were NBI agents at GSIS, standing beside the blue guard, the OSAA immediately noticed that they were already geared up—wearing vests and preparing for an operation,” revealed Castro.

“When they arrived at the bridge within the GSIS premises, the OSAA approached the NBI agent who was just seated together with a blue guard from GSIS,” she narrated.

“The agent identified himself and upon stating their identities, Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca immediately fired a warning shot. Because of that, the NBI agent was also compelled to fire a warning shot,” she explained.