Manila probes if Senate shooting was staged to free ICC-wanted Senator Bato dela Rosa — who is Mao Aplasca?

Manila: Philippine authorities are investigating whether gunshots fired inside the Senate building amid an attempt to arrest an International Criminal Court-wanted senator were staged to help him evade capture.

Questions swirl over the chaotic incident that has fueled public skepticism and political tension.

On Monday, the day Vice President was impeached by the House of Representatives (lower house) Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa emerged from seven months in the shadows and turned up at the Upper House chamber during which a new Senate leadership was elected in a crucial vote seen favouring Duterte.

No one was injured in Wednesday evening's gunfire at the Senate in Pasay city (a suburb of Manila) despite volleys of shots that sent journalists and staff scrambling for cover.

Who fired the shot? Where is 'Bato'?

Questions swirled around who fired the shots and who benefited from it.

The episode erupted as authorities moved to serve an arrest warrant on Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, a former national police chief and key enforcer of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody drug war.

Dela Rosa, who faces ICC charges related to crimes against humanity over the drug crackdown, had taken refuge in the Senate after resurfacing following a seven-month absence to vote in a leadership.

Senate security personnel reportedly fired the initial shots during a confrontation, sparking panic and allowing dela Rosa to slip away amid the melee, according to officials and witnesses.

Local media and the public have raised sharp questions about the episode's authenticity.

On Wednesday night, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and several members of the majority bloc stayed in the building past office hours, supposedly to wait for the transmittal of the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte from the House of Representatives.

As the shooting incident unfolded, Cayetano went on Facebook livestream to say that the Senate was “allegedly under attack.”

Opposition Senator Riza Hontiveros lamented how the incident turned the Senate into “a shooting range,” calling it a “desecration” of the institution and “a historic low for our country.”

Videos circulating online show people running as shots echo through hallways, with some commentators immediately labeling it a "scripted drama" due to the lack of casualties, high bullet trajectories and the convenient timing that aided dela Rosa's exit.

Opposition figures, including former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, have publicly asked whether the shooting was orchestrated.

'Obstruction of justice'

Trillanes has also said Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and other officials should face criminal charges for allegedly obstructing justice and helping Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa evade a valid arrest warrant.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag confirmed Thursday that probes by the NBI and Philippine National Police include examining whether the "attack" was staged.

Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage, conducting forensic analysis of bullet impacts and interviewing those present.

"We will use our forensic capabilities to determine what really happened," Matibag said at a Malacañang Palace briefing, as reported by the Inquirer.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addressed the nation late Wednesday, urging calm, vowing full-on probe.

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has called for videos from the public to assist the investigation and backed a joint probe.

On Friday, local media reported that Senate Sergeant-At Arms Mao Aplasca has been slapped with a six-month "preventive suspension" over his actions in the gunfire scare at the Senate building.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla said: "He's supposed to help maintain the rules of the Senate, pero kapag paputukan mo ang enforcement ibang usapan 'yan (but when you fire at a law-enforcement office, it's a different story)," he said.

Mao Aplasca is a retired Philippine National Police major general who has repeatedly served in security and administrative roles tied to the Philippine Congress and transport security. He is currently in the news as the acting head of the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, and he previously led the Office of Transportation Security and served as House sergeant-at-arms. Aplasca is a PMA Class of 1987 graduate. He also held senior PNP posts, including director of the Aviation Security Group and director of Police Regional Office 4A (Calabarzon).

What happens next

The NBI and PNP are expected to release initial findings in the coming days, potentially including ballistic reports and timeline reconstructions.

Dela Rosa remains "protected" by Senate allies, with law enforcement ordered not to pursue him on the grounds.

Legal experts anticipate possible Supreme Court involvement.

It also highlights ongoing friction over the ICC warrants tied to the drug war, which killed thousands.

For now, the Senate remains a focal point of security and political drama as the country watches to see if the gunfire was a genuine security breach or a calculated manoeuvre.

Impeachment trial set on May 18

The Philippines' Constitution mandates that an impeachment trial must be held "forthwith" with the Senators acting as judges and the House as prosecurtors.

While speculation is rife that the Senate drama could further delay the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, new Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has set Monday, May 18, as the date when the Senate will convene as an impeachment court.

“Consistent with its mandate under Article 11, Section 3 of the Constitution, the secretariat has been directed to include the articles of impeachment in the calendar for ordinary business for referral to the impeachment court, which shall be convened on 18 May 2026, 3 pm, or at the possible soonest time, absent any question on the rules and procedure related to the transmitted articles,” Cayetano said, reading his letter to House Speaker Bojie Dy. “We will follow (the Constitution), there will be no delays,” Cayetano told reporters.

The web of incidents has deepened political rifts between Marcos allies and Duterte loyalists, with the latter now in control of key Senate positions.

At least four current and two former Senators face legal scrutiny into their involvement in the multi-billion flood-control mess that has infuriated the public.