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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOJ issues subpoenas for list of Senate firearms

DOJ issues subpoenas for list of Senate firearms

Published May 26, 2026 01:52 pm
Philippine National Police personnel pass through a cordon leading to the Senate session hall in Pasay City following the May 13 shooting incident. Security forces tightened access as investigators continued their probe. (Photo by Mark Balmores)
Philippine National Police personnel pass through a cordon leading to the Senate session hall in Pasay City following the May 13 shooting incident. Security forces tightened access as investigators continued their probe. (Photo by Mark Balmores)
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued subpoenas in a bid to establish the ownership, quantity and registration of firearms owned by the Senate following the gunfire incident on May 13. 
DOJ Acting Secretary Fredderick A. Vida said the subpoena was sent to the Senate, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Commission on Audit (COA) .
Vida said the subpoenas were issued as part of the ongoing being conducted by the DOJ’s special panel of prosecutors on the Senate gunfire involving personnel of the Senate's Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms.
He said the subpoena to the Senate was issued to the Office of the Senate Secretary which was asked to produce a summary or inventory of firearms available and owned by the Senate and their corresponding issuance documents to corresponding Senate officials and employees; the oath of office of Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Apalsca; and the security logs.
The secretary said the subpoena sent to the COA sought for the records relating to the inventory of assets, particularly, firearms owned by the Senate.
Vida said “subpoena has also been issued to the PNP, particularly, to the Firearms and Explosives Office (EOD) for the production of inventory firearms registered under the ownership of the Senate, second, records pertaining to ownership to the particular firearm which we have viewed in the video, particularly, ‘yung tinatawag po nilang Scorpion.”
The PNP earlier said that on May 14 Aplasca initiated the warning shots against NBI personnel he spotted at the second floor pathway linking the Senate and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) offices.
The PNP also expressed belief that the 26 shots that were fired that night came from a 9mm CZ Scorpion Evo used by Aplasca.
Before the DOJ conducted the investigation on the incident, Aplasca claimed that he reacted to what he believed to have been an attempted "siege" of the Senate premises to serve Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa with an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Dela Rosa has been named by the ICC as co-perpetrator in the crimes against humanity case concerning the drug war of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
The senator arrived at the Senate on May 11 amid the threat of the ICC arrest warrant to participate in the voting for the change in the Senate leadership.
Dela Rosa was accused of taking advantage of the May 13 shooting incident when he left at around 2:30 a.m. on May 14 from the Senate premises.

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DOJ Senate gunfire Bato dela Rosa
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