By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday defended the integrity of its investigation into the May 13 shooting incident at the Senate, rejecting claims that CCTV footage presented to the public had been manipulated.
“The integrity of our investigative process is paramount and the footage we presented is authentic, time-stamped, and direct from the source, leaving no room for claims of manipulation,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement.
Nartatez issued the statement after suspended Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) chief Mao Aplasca was quoted in news reports as claiming that the CCTV footage presented by authorities during a Malacañang press conference on Tuesday had been “spliced” to alter the narrative of the confrontation.
Nartatez said investigators remain open to further technical review if needed to preserve public trust in the ongoing probe.
“We remain fully transparent and welcome any objective, expert validation of these files, as our only objective is to present the unvarnished truth of the events that transpired at the Senate,” he said.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) earlier said it would recommend the filing of charges against Aplasca and two other OSAA personnel over the incident.
Alert vs possible Dela Rosa exit
Nartatez, meanwhile, said personnel from the Maritime Group and the Aviation Security Group had been alerted against any attempt by Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa to leave the country.
Dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), left Senate custody on May 14, hours after the commotion in the chamber, prompting speculations that the shooting incident may have been staged.
Nartatez said coordination with the Bureau of Immigration showed no record of Dela Rosa traveling outside the country.
Police forces, however, were instructed to remain vigilant and intensify intelligence monitoring at all exit points, including the country’s southern backdoor routes.
The Supreme Court has denied Dela Rosa’s petition for the a temporary restraining order against the implementation of the ICC arrest warrant. Nartatez said the PNP would defer to the Department of Justice for further direction. (PNA)
