Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri condemned the reported gunfire inside the Senate building and urged the Philippine National Police to identify those behind the incident, after authorities arrested a National Bureau of Investigation driver as the suspect in the Wednesday night shooting.
Police identified the suspect as 44-year-old Mel Oragon, an NBI employee who allegedly fired several shots inside the Senate building before Senate security personnel subdued and arrested him. The incident reportedly happened around 7:50 p.m. within the GSIS compound area, as tensions rose over Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s possible arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant.
No deaths or injuries were reported, but Zubiri said the incident still raised serious questions about security inside one of the country’s highest government institutions.
“I strongly condemn the violence that took place inside the Senate building,” Zubiri said. “The PNP must give the public a clear timeline, identify the perpetrators and determine how armed perpetrators were able to enter, fire shots and get away from a seat of government.”
Zubiri called the incident “a breach of public safety and institutional security,” saying the absence of casualties does not lessen the gravity of what happened.
“Violence must never enter the halls of the Senate. Ang Senado ay lugar ng malayang debate, batas at serbisyo, hindi lugar para sa karahasan o pananakot,” he said.
Police said CIDG and Pasay police investigators began gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses after the shooting. Authorities also subjected Oragon to a paraffin examination inside the Senate building.
PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño said the suspect had given names during questioning, but stressed that the information remains subject to verification.
Authorities are preparing possible charges involving firearms violations, alarms and scandals, grave threats, direct assault and Senate security violations. Forensic teams also conducted technical examinations, bomb threat inspections and security sweeps across the Senate premises.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. denied that state forces or NBI agents were ordered to enter the Senate or arrest dela Rosa that night, saying he personally called NBI Director Melvin Matibag to ask about the reports.
Zubiri said investigators must answer who ordered the incident, who carried it out, how the suspect got inside and how he escaped security long enough to fire shots.
“We continue to pray for the safety of everyone in the Senate and for the stability of our nation. But prayer must be accompanied by decisive action so this never happens again,” Zubiri said.
