Marcos denies government role in Senate shooting scare 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. moved Wednesday night to quell rising tensions over the reported shooting incident inside the Senate complex, insisting that no government security forces were involved and denying claims that authorities had been ordered to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. 

 In a recorded statement, Marcos said he personally monitored developments for over two hours and immediately coordinated with law enforcement officials as confusion spread over reports of armed personnel entering the Senate grounds. 

 The Chief Executive said he directly contacted officials of the Philippine National Police and later called National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag to verify whether NBI agents had entered the Senate complex. 

“Tinawagan ko ang NBI at tinanong ko si Director Matibag, ‘Kayo ba pumasok sa Senado?’ Ang sabi sa akin, ‘Wala kaming instruction, sir’ (I called the NBI and asked Director Matibag, ‘were you the ones who entered the Senate?’ He said, we have no instruction, sir),” Marcos said. 

 Marcos stressed that the uniformed personnel seen in the area were part of the Senate’s regular security contingent, including police officers assigned to the chamber and members of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. “Walang pumasok na taga-labas na sundalo, militar, o NBI sa Senado (No uniformed personnel or NBI agents entered the Senate),” he said. 

The President also disclosed that NBI personnel previously deployed near the Supreme Court had already been ordered to leave before the incident inside the Senate unfolded. Seeking to calm public concern, Marcos assured Filipinos that the disturbance did not originate from the government. 

“Hindi po gobyerno ang gumawa nito (The government is not behind this),” Marcos said. “Kalma lang po. Asahan ninyo, ang gobyerno ninyo hindi gagawin ito (Let us all be calm. Trust that the government will not do something like this).” 

The incident erupted amid heightened political tensions triggered by reports of a supposed arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court against Dela Rosa in connection with the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.  

Earlier discussions on placing Dela Rosa under Senate protective custody had already fueled debate over the limits of congressional authority and the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies. 

As speculation intensified, the Armed Forces of the Philippines clarified that Marine troopers seen within the Senate premises were merely performing security duties. “The AFP maintains an institutional security detail at vital government installations, facilities, and landmarks. 

The military personnel seen inside the Senate building are Marine Security & Escort Group (MSEG) personnel detailed at the said institution for perimeter security,” the AFP said.  

The military added that the Marines entered parts of the building only after being requested by the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms to help secure the facility. 

 Authorities have yet to release complete details regarding the reported shooting incident, including whether there were injuries or who may have been involved.