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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Unarmed NBI volunteer held without warrant after Senate incident — Matibag

Unarmed NBI volunteer held without warrant after Senate incident — Matibag

Published May 19, 2026 02:17 pm
MACHRA President Itchie Cabayan, NBI Director Atty. Melvin Matibag and MACHRA Board Chairperson Diann Calucin at the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA) “Balitaan” forum on Tuesday, May 19, held at Harbor View Restaurant in Ermita, Manila.
MACHRA President Itchie Cabayan, NBI Director Atty. Melvin Matibag and MACHRA Board Chairperson Diann Calucin at the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA) “Balitaan” forum on Tuesday, May 19, held at Harbor View Restaurant in Ermita, Manila.

A volunteer of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested following the recent Senate incident was unarmed and taken into custody without a warrant, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said.

Speaking at the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA) “Balitaan” forum on Tuesday, May 19, at Harbor View Restaurant in Ermita, Manila, Matibag said video footage showed NBI volunteer Mel Oragon had no firearm at the time of his arrest inside the GSIS premises.

“Napagsuspetsahan lang siya (He was only suspected),” Matibag said.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag speaks at the MACHRA Balitaan forum in Ermita, Manila (Photos courtesy of Diann Calucin/MANILA BULLETIN)
NBI Director Melvin Matibag speaks at the MACHRA Balitaan forum in Ermita, Manila (Photos courtesy of Diann Calucin/MANILA BULLETIN)

The NBI chief clarified that when gunshots were first reported in the Senate complex, only two NBI agents were present, stationed at the GSIS, not inside the Senate, along with a single security guard.

Matibag also addressed reports that Oragon tested positive for gunpowder residue, saying such results do not automatically prove that a person fired a gun.

“In the chain of custody, dapat makuha mo ang baril… doon mo makikita ang possibility na nagpaputok ng baril (you must recover the firearm first. That’s where you determine the possibility that a person fired a gun),” he explained.

He added that nitrates can also be transferred through contact with other people or contaminated surfaces.

The NBI chief explained that Oragon could have been exposed after being brought to another area where gunfire occurred, citing video that allegedly showed him being pinned down while shots were being fired nearby.

CCTV footage, according to Matibag, showed Oragon on the fifth floor without a firearm while the shooting incident was unfolding, up until he was apprehended by personnel from the Office for the Security and Safety of the Senate (OSAA).

The NBI maintained that its agents were deployed at the GSIS upon request to secure entry points leading to the Senate building.

Matibag said there are at least seven access points between the two premises that need to be sealed.

He stressed that the agents conducting the operation were accompanied by members of the media.

Matibag also noted that Oragon is not a salaried NBI employee but a volunteer assisting an agent-handler, and had even helped prepare meals for media personnel before the incident.

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