Pasay City Police Chief PCOL Joselito De Sesto on Saturday denied allegations that his police vehicle formed part of a convoy that allegedly escorted a black van out of the Senate grounds during the early-morning hours following a shootout inside the compound.

In a statement issued on 16 May, De Sesto confirmed he was the passenger inside the white police mobile seen on CCTV exiting the Senate premises at around 3:00 a.m. on 14 May.

The sighting fueled public speculation online, with several posts claiming the police vehicle was escorting Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who reportedly left the building around the same time while facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

De Sesto insisted the timing was coincidental and unrelated to any attempt to assist the senator’s departure.

“Nagkataon lamang na sabay na lumabas sa gate ng Senado ang isang itim na van kasabay ng kanilang police mobile,” he said.

According to De Sesto, he and his team were already in the vicinity as part of a legitimate deployment ordered to monitor the area following the 13 May shooting incident, which involved an exchange of gunfire between Senate security personnel and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

He added that the police mobile immediately turned right toward the World Trade Center to return to their station, while the black van was seen heading in the opposite direction.

The timing of the exit has drawn closer scrutiny as it aligns with information from the Senate secretariat that Dela Rosa — who had been staying in the chamber under “protective custody” since May 11 — departed the premises between 2:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.

The NBI is now investigating whether the shootout was a “deliberate distraction” or a staged confrontation intended to aid Dela Rosa’s exit from the building.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag earlier identified Senator Robin Padilla and the Senate’s acting Sergeant-at-Arms as persons of interest in the probe.

De Sesto reiterated that there was “no interaction, coordination, or operation” linking Pasay police to the black van, but acknowledged that investigators are reviewing CCTV footage to reconstruct the movements of all vehicles around the compound during the tense standoff.