Senate must cooperate, not block Ombudsman probe –Tulfo

By Wilnard Bacelonia, Philippine News Agency

Senator Erwin Tulfo (Senate of the Philippines/facebook)

MANILA – Senator Erwin Tulfo on Sunday said the Senate must cooperate with the Ombudsman’s investigation into the May 13 shooting incident, warning that any refusal to receive subpoenas or turn over evidence would only raise more doubts.

In a radio interview, Tulfo said he would raise the matter when session resumes Monday, following reports that the Senate refused to receive the preventive suspension order against Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms chief Mao Aplasca and a subpoena for closed-circuit television footage.

“May mga subpoena, meron tayong ika nga investigation ongoing, tapos ayaw natin mag-cooperate (There are subpoenas, there is an ongoing investigation, and yet we refuse to cooperate). It’s really a bad example,” Tulfo said.

Earlier, Aplasca admitted that he fired the warning shot after seeing armed individuals, who he later said were National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel, within Senate jurisdiction.

He said OSAA personnel first challenged the armed individuals, asked them to identify themselves and ordered them to lower their firearms, but they did not do so. He added that the NBI failed to coordinate with them before the operation.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Nartatez Jr., who went to the Senate following the gunfire to check on the senators, said police obtained significant pieces of evidence and testimonies that could shed light on the incident.

Tulfo said the Senate should not appear to be placing itself above the law, especially while investigators are trying to determine whether the incident was staged or whether the upper chamber was truly under attack.

“I will definitely stand up. I will manifest na we have to follow rules. We are not above the law,” he said.

Tulfo said cooperation is necessary to protect the credibility of the Senate and clear the air on conflicting claims surrounding the incident.

“Kung piprevent mo, nakakahiya. Parang (If you prevent it, it is embarrassing. It is as if) you’re hiding something if you’re going to stop the Ombudsman,” he said.

Tulfo said it would be premature to demand accountability from Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano until the investigations are completed.

He said the Senate should allow the inquiry to proceed and return its focus to legislation and the expected convening of the impeachment court against Vice President Sara Duterte.