JUSTICE Secretary Frederick Vida clarified on Wednesday that contrary to earlier claims, the Senate Building was never under attack on May 13, 2026.
Speaking to the media as he presented updates from a special panel of prosecutors, Vida said the investigation covers the sequence of events from May 11, when Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa appeared at the Senate, up to the May 13 incident that led to gunfire within the premises. His statement directly contradicts the account given by former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, who had publicly claimed that the upper chamber was under assault and that security forces had confirmed shooting incidents.
Based on a comprehensive review of CCTV footage, official documents, witness statements, and materials submitted by the PNP‑CIDG, the media, and the GSIS, the panel released key initial findings. It established that the action taken by the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant‑at‑Arms (OSAA) against agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was unjustified and unnecessary. The panel also confirmed that the NBI was lawfully present at the site to execute an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, following the public release of an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant on May 11. Vida warned that anyone found to have assisted the senator in evading arrest could face criminal charges.
The chain of events began on May 11, when Dela Rosa attended the Senate session for the election of officers. He claimed that NBI agents pursued him inside the building, prompting the Senate leadership to place him under protective custody. Two days later, tensions escalated into a shooting incident. While the OSAA alleged that NBI operatives were trying to sneak into the facility, the NBI maintained that it was only assisting the GSIS in securing a connecting door. An NBI driver who was arrested during the commotion denied carrying a firearm, stating he was merely retrieving medicine for a senior official.
Vida noted that the investigation team was not granted access to conduct an ocular inspection of the Senate premises. The Senate declined the request, citing ongoing separate inquiries by the Office of the Ombudsman and the PNP‑CIDG, as well as a potential conflict of interest since the NBI falls under the DOJ. Despite this limitation, Vida emphasized that the panel’s goal remains clear: “The objective is simple: to establish the facts and determine accountability wherever the evidence may lead.” He added that the department will continue to gather available evidence and build a complete picture of what really happened during those critical days in May.
