MANILA — Panfilo Lacson believes the shooting incident that occurred inside the Senate on May 13 might have been prevented if there had been proper coordination between the National Bureau of Investigation and the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Speaking in an interview over True FM on Friday, Lacson said both sides failed to establish clear communication during the operation.
“If there had been direct coordination and proper communication between the parties involved, the shooting incident could probably have been avoided,” Lacson said in Filipino and English.
The senator said NBI personnel were deployed at the Government Service Insurance System compound, where the Senate building stands, following a request from Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso.
According to Lacson, NBI Director Melvin Matibag told him the agents were assigned mainly to secure the area and help prevent possible disturbances linked to protests outside the Senate grounds.
He clarified that the agents were not ordered to arrest Ronald dela Rosa, who has remained at the Senate since May 11 following reports of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
Lacson explained that the NBI operatives were only instructed to keep dela Rosa under observation and monitor his movements should he leave the Senate premises.
“The instruction was not to arrest him inside the Senate, but to monitor and follow him if he exits the compound and then wait for further instructions,” Lacson said.
He also stressed the importance of reviewing all available CCTV recordings to establish the complete timeline of events surrounding the shooting incident.
ia/xf
