The Tamesis
May 15, 2026
Manila – National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Madibage said on Thursday that authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the shooting at the Senate Building, including whether the “attack” was carefully planned.
Gunshots were heard in a second-floor Senate hallway around 7:46 p.m. Wednesday, followed by several more shots, some of which sounded like they came from automatic weapons.
READ: Palace: Senate sergeant-at-arms fired first, warning to NBI
“Well, this is part of the ongoing investigation – all of these have been included. Currently, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police are cooperating. We will review the footage and if there is CCTV footage, we will use our forensic capabilities to determine what exactly happened,” Martibag told a Malacañang press conference when asked to clear up rumors that the incident was staged.
“This remains part of our ongoing investigation. The only thing we can share with you is that Deputy Secretary of State Claire Castro has given a statement on the facts of what happened,” he also said.
The shooting occurred while Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was in protective custody in the Senate and faced an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for his alleged role in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
READ: NBI, eyes interagency action after dela Rosa withdraws from Senate confirmation
Less than 24 hours later, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano confirmed that de la Rosa was no longer in the Senate.
Palace Press Officer Castro said in a statement read at the beginning of the briefing that Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mau Apraska first fired a warning shot at an NBI agent inside the Government Services Insurance System (GSIS), where the Senate is located. NBI agents allegedly then fired back.
Castro explained that GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso had requested assistance from the National Bureau of Investigation to ensure the security of the GSIS building amid tensions over the alleged arrest of Dela Rosa.
She insisted that NBI agents did not carry out any raids inside the Senate and did not take any action to arrest Dela Rosa. /das/atm
