Metro Manila, Philippines – A number of senators said on Tuesday, June 9, they have received information about possible threats to the Senate premises, with the chamber now under heightened security.
In a statement, acting Senate President Win Gatchalian said National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag disclosed the information about a potential threat to the facility during the consultative meeting of the blue ribbon committee on the flood control scandal on Monday, June 8.
Gatchalian said he will meet with the Senate executive committee including the sergeant at arms for security adjustments.
“The security and safety of all senators and all Senate employees is paramount. We will make sure that our work environment is safe and secure,” he said.
In a memorandum released Tuesday, Gatchalian authorized the Senate secretariat and employees to work from home on June 10 to 11 in light of the alleged threats.
He said personnel who may be required to report onsite for security and maintenance work should coordinate with the Office of the Sergeant At Arms.
In a chance interview, Senate Sergeant At Arms Alfred Corpus said the chamber is under heightened security, which means additional personnel were deployed to protect the building.
“We’re working with different law enforcement agencies. I’m working with different intelligence communities to validate ‘yung [the] information,” he said.
“Very serious” threat
Meanwhile, Senator Vicente Sotto III, a former Senate president, told reporters as much about the security situation, describing it as a “very serious” threat.
“The threat is a clear and present danger therefore serious considerations must be taken,” he said.
“Security measures are being planned,” Sotto added.
Senator Ping Lacson, a former Philippine National Police chief, said “as per information, though still sketchy and raw, the level of frustration within the armed services has reached up to battalion and regional levels.”
“They are closely monitoring the developments in the ongoing crisis at the national level brought about by numerous factors, both internal and external,” he said.
Lacson added that the supposed frustration stemmed from the Senate dispute, flood control corruption scandal, inflation, and fuel prices.
In a press briefing, Palace press officer Claire Castro said the information is under validation and has been referred to proper authorities.
“Sa mga nagtatangka, dahil nga may nauulinigan po na ganitong mga security threats, kayo man ay senador o ordinaryong tao na nagsasagawa nito, hindi po kayo makakaligtas sa kamay ng batas,” she said.
[Translation: To those who are attempting this, because there are reports of these kinds of security threats, whether you are a senator or an ordinary citizen engaging in such acts, you will not escape the long arm of the law.]
In May, a gunfire scare rattled the Senate building after a standoff between in-house security and NBI agents, amid the pending arrest warrant against fugitive Sen. Bato dela Rosa, who at the time sought protective custody. It occurred just two days after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano took over the leadership and ousted Sotto.
Questionable credibility
Meanwhile, Cayetano questioned the credibility of the supposed threats to the Senate, in particular the NBI as the source of the information.
“A clearly partisan NBI that was itself a party to violence within these walls cannot credibly appoint itself the guardian of our safety,” he said.
“And there is a more basic question. Since when has the NBI been the lead agency on matters of national intelligence and security? Where, in all of this, are the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police — the institutions actually mandated to assess and respond to threats of this nature?” he added.
The lawmaker said if the threat is credible, every senator and employee must be informed and protected.
“A genuine threat to the institution is shared across the entire body—administration and opposition, majority and minority alike. It is never the private possession of one faction. The moment a “security threat” is briefed to some and withheld from others, it ceases to be a security matter and becomes a political instrument,” Cayetano said, adding that the timing of the information demands honesty.
The senator has refused to accept Gatchalian as acting Senate president, insisting that he is still the legal and moral leader. On the other hand, the Palace and House of Representatives have recognized Gatchalian’s election.
