PNP analyzing Senate CCTV footage amid shooting probe

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Randulf Tuaño said Friday that CCTV footage from inside and outside the Senate premises has been turned over to the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group for preservation and analysis.

“It is currently being analyzed and monitored, and they will submit the results of their analysis to the investigation composite team,” Tuaño said during a press briefing at Camp Crame.

“All pieces of evidence, including the personal footage of our media colleagues and individual personnel, are included in the request of Pasay City and CIDG to be provided to our investigators for use as evidence,” he added.

In a separate interview, Jonvic Remulla said authorities are in the process of recovering video footage related to the shooting incident inside the Senate premises amid the looming arrest of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

“We have footage from the press that we are studying,” Remulla told reporters when asked to comment on Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca’s statement that no CCTV footage showed the movements of the OSAA and Marines during Wednesday night’s incident.

“We are in the process of recovering. We will have the final report ready by Wednesday,” he added.

Remulla reiterated that the PNP would not arrest dela Rosa based solely on the ICC warrant unless it is coursed through Interpol.

Tuaño also declined to comment on reports that dela Rosa allegedly requested to stay at Camp Crame after the shooting incident at the Senate.

Earlier, Aplasca disclosed that dela Rosa had allegedly asked PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. if he could stay in a room at the national police headquarters’ “White House,” the official residence of the PNP chief.

Meanwhile, Tuaño stressed that warning shots are generally prohibited under police operational procedures.

“The PNP's police operational procedure is clear in its provisions for PNP personnel. It states that as a general rule, warning shots are prohibited,” Tuaño said.

He explained that exemptions are allowed only if a police officer is outnumbered, overpowered, or if their life is in danger.

Tuaño added that civilians who discharge firearms indiscriminately may face criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code, including indiscriminate firing and alarm and scandal.

Furthermore, Tuaño said Nartatez is awaiting the results of investigations being conducted by the Pasay City police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group under the supervision of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management.

He also disclosed that the PNP chief is reviewing a 3D reconstruction of the crime scene prepared by the PNP Forensic Group, which includes bullet trajectories, locations of spent shell casings, and other pieces of evidence recovered at the scene.

“Right now, the PNP chief is watching the reconstruction done by the Forensic Group regarding, for example, the trajectories of the bullets, the spent shells, and others,” Tuaño said.

“After the PNP chief watches it, we will ask for clearance from him on when we can share with the public the initial results of the Forensic Group’s analysis,” he added.

The 3D reconstruction method was previously used by the PNP during its investigation into the death of former Public Works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

Earlier, the ICC confirmed that the arrest warrant against dela Rosa circulating in the media “is indeed a formal ICC document.”

The ICC reportedly unsealed and classified the document as public on 11 May.

After a six-month absence from public view, dela Rosa resurfaced and sought refuge at the Senate on Monday.