Sen. Risa Hontiveros has filed a Senate resolution honoring members of the Senate media who continued reporting during the May 13 shooting incident at the Senate in Pasay City, where gunfire triggered panic among staff and journalists inside the building.
Philippine Senate Resolution No. 400 seeks to commend the “bravery and professionalism” of the Senate press corps during the crisis, which unfolded amid a three-day standoff between law enforcement authorities and Senate leadership after Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was placed under protective custody by the chamber.
“Despite being trapped in a building with a potential active shooter, the members of the Senate Media exhibited remarkable personal bravery, prioritizing the public’s right to information over their own immediate safety by continuing to cover the incident as it occurred,” Hontiveros said in the resolution.
The shooting followed dela Rosa’s sudden reappearance at the Senate as controversy grew over an International Criminal Court arrest warrant linked to alleged crimes against humanity. Gunfire reportedly lasted around three minutes, causing fear and confusion among Senate employees and reporters covering the fast-moving incident from inside the Senate building.
Hontiveros also framed the work of the Senate media as critical during moments of national crisis, especially when public information is being tested by disinformation, covert influence operations, and coordinated inauthentic behavior.
“In an information landscape increasingly compromised by systemic online disinformation, covert influence operations, and coordinated inauthentic behavior, the impartial reporting of the Senate Media serves as an essential pillar of truth, protecting the integrity of our democracy during times of national crisis,” she said.
The resolution places formal attention on journalists who remained on duty while the crisis unfolded around them. It also underscores why verified reporting matters when public institutions face disorder, political pressure, and urgent questions from the public.
