Members of the Senate minority bloc on Friday, May 15, pressed for a thorough investigation of the unfortunate events that unfolded in the Senate over the past few days.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (OS Lacson)

For his part, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson called for the retrieval and thorough review of the close circuit television (CCTV) footage of the recent events in the Senate that eventually led to Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s successful exit from the Upper Chamber “from start to finish.”

In his post on X, Sen. Lacson said it is important to retrieve and view the CCTV footage showing the succession of events in Wednesday’s (May 13) incident from the beginning to ascertain who is indeed responsible for the shooting incident that happened then at the Senate’s premises.

Lacson, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, reiterated that the “one with the means, opportunity, and motive” is likely behind the incident, thus, should be the guide of investigators handling the case.

“More on the Senate incident last night: He who has the MEANS, OPPORTUNITY and MOTIVE is the most probable suspect,” Lacson said.

https://x.com/iampinglacson/status/2054725183915831590

While Lacson was thankful that there were no reported casualties or injuries, he raised three key points for investigators to consider as they look into the incident.

"Chaos, guns fired inside the Senate building. Checked my staff, they’re all safe. Thank God no reports of casualties or injuries. Next thing to do is investigate to find out who fired his/their gun/s, at whom and most importantly, the motive," he said.

https://x.com/iampinglacson/status/2054581262866903217

Likewise, Lacson noted that while Cayetano claimed the Senate was “under attack” at that time, it was Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) head Mao Aplasca who admitted firing the first warning shot.

“(So) if you are under attack, the attacker should have fired first. On the  contrary, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms had actually admitted to having fired first,” he pointed out.

“Let's just wait for the results of the investigation based on facts - the CCTV and witnesses' testimonies. Let's wait for the outcome of the probe,” he stressed.

Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV also echoed the call as he formally filed Senate Resolution No. 397 calling for an impartial investigation into what happened at the Upper Chamber.

“Merong nangyaring pagputok, maraming empleyado ang inakalang mamamatay sila. Kami mga senador hindi rin malinaw. Hanggang ngayon, hindi rin malinaw kung ano ba talaga iyong nangyari at mahalaga sa taumbayan na malaman natin (There were gunshots, there were many employees who thought they will die. Even us senators were confused. Until now, it’s still not clear what really happened and it’s important for the people to also know),” Aquino said.

“Let's get to the bottom of this. What really happened that night?” he pointed out.

“At makita natin ano ba iyong nangyaring mga (We need to see what was the) failure ng (of) protocol, failure ng (of) communication. Malaman natin ano ba talaga mismo iyong nangyari at malaman din natin kung sinong dapat managot (We need to know what really happened and who really should be held accountable),” Aquino stressed.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros also backed such a probe: “I'm hoping simply that the whole truth will come out.”

“Sino ba ang nagpasimula ng ganyang sitwasyon? Sino nagpa-escalate? Sino ang unang bumaril para mag-degenerate ang sitwasyon na iyan so rapidly and so badly (Who started this situation? Who escalated it? Who was the first to shoot that eventually led to the situation going down so rapidly and so badly)?” Hontiveros pointed out.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who joined the Senate Majority bloc led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, said the suspension of acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca by the Office of the Ombudsman as a result of the shooting incident justifies his call for the preservation of the CCTV footage of the Senate.

“An investigation is already underway, and in the coming days, the truth behind the shooting incident at the Senate will come to light,” Estrada said in a statement.

“Kaya napakahalaga na mapreserba ang CCTV footage ng Senado upang magkaroon ng malinaw, patas, at kumpletong larawan ng mga pangyayari (That is why it is very important to preserve the Senate’s CCTV footage to have a clear, fair, and complete picture of the events),” he said.

“We have nothing to hide, and we welcome any impartial investigation that will help uncover the truth, clear the air, and hold accountable those responsible for the commotion that disrupted the Senate,” he stressed.

At this point, Estrada said the focus should be “on facts—not speculation, politics, or noise.”

“We stand firmly behind the call of Alan Peter Cayetano: panahon na para magtrabaho at harapin ang tunay na mga problemang kinakaharap ng bansa (It's time to get to work and address the real problems facing the country). The Filipino people deserve accountability, stability, and leadership focused on solutions,” he said.