THE Senate has officially received the Office of the Ombudsman’s order placing acting Senate Sergeant‑at‑Arms Mao Aplasca under preventive suspension, alongside a subpoena demanding closed‑circuit television (CCTV) footage related to the shooting incident at the Senate building last May 13.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano confirmed this development on Monday, May 18, stating that he had just received reports verifying the receipt of both documents by the Senate.
“I just got the report that they have received both the order for preventive suspension and the subpoena on the CCTV footage,” Clavano announced, marking a significant shift from earlier indications that the chamber was refusing to cooperate with the investigation.
Earlier on Monday morning, two representatives from the Ombudsman’s office were observed entering the Senate premises to formally serve the legal issuances.
Although they were seen conducting official business, the representatives declined to provide specific details or confirm whether their visit was solely to serve the suspension order against Aplasca or to also secure copies of the requested surveillance recordings. These materials are central to the ongoing probe into the chaotic events that unfolded during the standoff involving law enforcement agencies attempting to serve an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, which culminated in gunfire being heard within the compound.
The confirmation comes just days after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla disclosed over the weekend that the Senate had initially refused to accept the subpoenas and other documents related to the investigation.
Remulla had emphasized at the time that under procedural rules, the documents were already deemed legally served and effective despite the refusal, meaning the institution remained bound to comply. With the Senate now formally acknowledging receipt of both the suspension order and the evidence request, authorities expect compliance to follow, allowing investigators to access critical visual records and proceed with determining liability regarding security actions, the reported gunfire, and the circumstances surrounding Dela Rosa’s subsequent escape from the facility.
