The Office of the Ombudsman confirmed on Monday that it has officially issued its order for the preventive suspension of Senate Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca and the subpoena for a copy of the CCTV footage on the night of 13 May when chaos erupted at the Senate.

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said that he had got confirmation from their personnel that both documents were received by the Senate Secretariat.

It was Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla who announced on Friday, 15 May, that Aplasca was set to be suspended for his inability to maintain order and instigating a commotion by firing warning shots at law enforcement agencies.

Remulla openly questioned the former Police Major General over his actions, noting that no one, even Senate officials, were above the law.

“Para mag-warning shot ka sa law enforcement, you think you are above the law. Nobody is above the law. Kahit nagtratrabaho ka sa Senado,” he said during a press conference.

(For you to fire a warning shot at law enforcement, you think you are above the law. Nobody is above the law. Even if you work for the Senate)

The Ombudsman explained that Aplasca would be suspended for a period of six months without pay as it conducts an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 13 May incident.

As part of the said probe, the investigative body had also sought for CCTV footage that captured the events that unfolded.

On Saturday, 16 May, Remulla said during his radio program on DZRH that the Senate did not accept the subpoena that it had issued regarding the footage.

“They do not want to accept it. I don’t understand them. For me, that’s considered ‘served’ even though they did not receive it,” he said.

Aside from recordings, the Ombudsman said that it was going to look into rumors that Senator Padilla had assisted fellow Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa in leaving Senate premises hours after the shooting incident.

He further stated that Senator Jinggoy Estrada was also going to be investigated for a comment he made concerning  the CCTV of the incident, stating, “Itago niyo ‘yung CCTV.”

(Hide the CCTV)

Estrada has since denounced notions through a follow-up statement where he clarified that there was no ill-intent in his remarks.