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Emmanuel Tupas - The Philippine Star
May 29, 2026 | 12:00am
Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel with bomb-sniffing dogs patrol the Senate premises yesterday. The Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms said the presence of the bomb squad was part of a routine inspection
Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines —The shooting incident on the second floor of the Senate building and Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s “escape” several hours later are related, the head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said yesterday.
CIDG director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II made the assertion as he ended speculations on whether the two incidents are related, citing the facts they obtained through evidence-based investigation.
“Let me just say, you know the two incidents, they are related but the investigation is already with the Department of Justice and I do not want to preempt the findings of DOJ,” Morico said in a news briefing at Camp Crame.
After six months in hiding, Dela Rosa made a dramatic appearance at the Senate on May 11 and was the critical vote that installed Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president, ousting Sen. Vicente Sotto III.
Cayetano later admitted Dela Rosa rode his vehicle to the Senate.
Even while under the Senate’s protective custody as Cayetano stated, Dela Rosa escaped from Senate premises on May 14 allegedly assisted by Sen. Robinhood Padilla and at least five others hours after the shooting incident.
Morico added that it is up to the Department of Justice to decide whether Cayetano should be held liable for obstruction of justice under Presidential Decree 1829 for Dela Rosa’s escape.
“The question is outside of my paycheck. That question is to be answered by the DOJ,” Morico said.
Meanwhile, Padilla’s uncle and cousin are under investigation for their alleged roles in Dela Rosa’s escape and disappearance.
Citing their investigation, Morico said a pickup truck which served as a backup vehicle for Dela Rosa as he left the Senate premises was registered to Padilla’s relatives.
Morico said they will refer a case against Padilla for obstruction of justice to the justice department. At least five other people are being probed, including a former Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel who is Padilla’s staff and security officer.
Morico refused to divulge details about the other persons who allegedly assisted Dela Rosa.
Morico maintained Dela Rosa’s escape was not a mere hitched ride as Padilla claimed, stressing the latter played a key role in the well-planned and coordinated plot.
“By indispensable cooperation. It will not happen without him,” Morico said of Padilla.
Joint teams from the PNP-CIDG and National Bureau of Investigation raided four suspected hideouts of Dela Rosa, two in Parañaque, one in Bulacan and one in Angeles City, Pampanga.
The Philippine National Police on Thursday served the order revoking Dela Rosa’s firearms license and registration to one of the senator’s lawyers in Davao City. It means Dela Rosa’s camp must surrender the 117 firearms under his name as these are now considered illegal.
PNP spokesman Col. Allen Rae Co said they will conduct operations should Dela Rosa refuse to surrender his firearms. “All units of the PNP can be the ones who will operate,” Co said.
Enforce Aplasca’s suspension
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said he wrote to Senate President Cayetano to enforce the six-month preventive suspension of acting Senate sergeant-at-arms (SAA) Mao Aplasca, saying he was alarmed that the latter seemed to be “holding office” and “still talking to the media.”
“We have not received a reply from the Senate President but we expect one. We will know if he’s complying with our order or not,” Remulla said in a press briefing last Tuesday. – Bella Cariaso, Daphne Galvez
