Hontiveros calls Senate shooting incident a ‘historic low’ for country

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday posted a statement on Facebook regarding the shooting incident at the Senate, describing it as a “historic low” for the country.

In her statement dated 14 May, Hontiveros also explained why senators and Senate employees from the minority bloc had already left the premises before the incident occurred.

Hontiveros clarified that the Senate session had already concluded and said Senate employees should not be used for political purposes “for a man who simply doesn’t want to face the law,” adding that employees had already done honest work throughout the day.

She added that senators are merely stewards of the Senate and stressed that the institution belongs to the Filipino people.

“No one gets to act like they own the place, much less barricade themselves inside it,” Hontiveros said.

“We need to get to the bottom of this. The Filipino people deserve a full, independent, and unobstructed accounting. Walang takipan,” she added, while calling on Ronald dela Rosa to surrender to authorities.

Hontiveros concluded her statement by saying that despite the incident, the Senate must continue functioning and lawmakers should “get our act together.”