The Philippine National Police insisted that the Senate was never under attack during the May 13 gunfire incident, presenting CCTV footage, ballistic evidence, and witness accounts during a Malacañang briefing to counter claims made by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators recovered 44 fired cartridges from four firearms and identified the shooters as Senate security personnel and an agent of the National Bureau of Investigation involved in the confrontation near the GSIS compound.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla explained that NBI agents were deployed at GSIS for security purposes and did not enter Senate offices, adding that the incident was classified as a gun-related confrontation rather than an attack on the Senate.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida confirmed that investigation reports from the PNP and NBI had been forwarded to prosecutors for further evaluation, while the Office of the Ombudsman launched a separate fact-finding inquiry into the incident.
Meanwhile, NBI director Melvin Matibag defended the agency’s actions and reiterated that the Senate was never under attack, as senators and retired NBI officials called for an impartial investigation into the shooting and lockdown.
Source: PhilNews24 | May 20, 2026
