No instruction to arrest Senator Bato—Marcos Jr

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated that no instructions came from him to arrest Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa.

“Nais kong sabihin sa inyong lahat, wala pong instruction kahit na kanino na hulihin si Sen. Bato. Ang NBI, sinabihan ko nung lumabas ang desisyon ng Supreme Court na umalis na kayo dyan. Nag-comply naman sila. Kaya’t nang kausapin ko si NBI Director (Melvin) Matibag, ang sabi nya, lahat ng kanyang tauhan ay andun sa kanilang opisina,” President Marcos clarified in a video message, several minutes after the tension ceased in the Senate.

The President then urged fellow Filipinos to calm down amid the commotion.

“I have already talked to Senate President Allan Peter Cayetano, and we have agreed to tell the people to calm down. And we will get to the bottom of this at aalamin natin kung sino ang gumawa nito. Ito ba ay nagka-engkwentro lang o kasama sa mga destabilization na nagsisimula ng nagsimula ng gulo. Kailangan nating malaman ito. Mag-iimbestiga ang Senado at ang PNP tungkol dito,” he stated.

He maintained that the government’s law enforcement units had initiated the siege, and the uniformed personnel who were seen during the disorder are officers who are detailed inside the Senate, namely the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Marines.

“Hindi po ang gobyerno ang gumawa nito. Walang pumasok na taga-labas, na NBI, na sundalo, sa Senado. Hindi po natin alam kung sino yun, yung nais na pumasok at nang dahil dun ay nagkaputukan. Aalamin po natin, kinokolekta po natin lahat yan. Asahan po ninyo na ang gobyerno nyo ay hindi iyon gagawin,” he stressed.