The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) personnel deployed at the Senate have been cleared of any direct involvement during the May 13 shooting incident inside the building and will remain in their posts, a military spokesperson confirmed Tuesday, May 26.

Capt. Marissa Martinez, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy (PN), stated that a formal inquiry and medical tests vindicated the troops assigned to the legislative building.

“I learned from the Philippine Marine Corps that none of them have fired their weapon. Secondly, they tested negative in the paraffin test. So those are just indicators that none of them directly participated in the shooting incident,” Martinez said.

The Marines present during the shooting incident belong to the Marine Security and Escort Group (MSEG), which provides protective details for critical government installations such as the Senate.

The Senate was rocked by gunfire on May 13 after Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa returned to the chamber amid reported International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest proceedings and the transmission of impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Security personnel from the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) fired warning shots after alleged unauthorized armed entry attempts inside the Senate complex at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) compound. All the spent shells recovered by the police were either fired by the OSAA or NBI, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Martinez explained that the Marines’ deployment during the disruption was limited to defensive positioning rather than active engagement.

After the shooting, the PNP conducted paraffin testing as part of the standard criminal investigation, which yielded negative paraffin tests for the Marines.

When asked if the negative results meant the troops were fully exonerated, Martinez affirmed: “Yes, they came out clean.”

Further, the military confirmed that no disciplinary actions or reassignments will take place following the investigation.

“No one was relieved because they did their duty for the perimeter defense. So they are still staying put there,” Martinez said.

Videos from media networks at the scene previously showed the troops assembled in the hallways while the incident unfolded.

According to Martinez, the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) requested the troops to move from their standard stations to the specific floor where the tension arose.

However, Martinez clarified the chain of command, noting that the troops “get orders directly from their OIC [officer-in-charge] in the Marines, not from OSAA.”

“They were asked by OSAA to, how do you call this, lock and load. But if you could see them, they never participated directly during the said incident,” she insisted.

Martinez explained that the presence of the Marines inside the Senate is not a temporary wartime deployment but part of a long-standing institutional security arrangement between the legislature and the Department of National Defense (DND).

“For several years now, that has already been part of their duty—it is one of the installations or critical infrastructure guarded by the Philippine Navy. So with that, and since that role is usually given to the Marine Security and Escort Group, they provide security not only to Malacañang and Congress, but also to the Senate and the Rizal Monument,” she noted.

The Navy spokesperson explained that the regular contingent consists of 24 personnel per building, overseen by an Officer-in-Charge (OIC). The guards rotate shifts every six hours.

“That's why, if you would look at the numbers during that time, it was less than 24, I think, around 10 or 12. So, that's just the number of those who were posted during that time," Martinez said.