Jonathan Frederic De Santos

The Senate building after a shooting incident on May 13, 2026. Darylle Sarmiento, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17788253929281778825391999.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Senate building after a shooting incident on May 13, 2026. Darylle Sarmiento, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATED)</strong> — The Office of the Ombudsman has placed Mao Aplasca, the Senate&#x27;s acting sergeant-at-arms, on preventive suspension for six months over the gunfire incident at the chamber last Wednesday night.</p><p>Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the suspension is meant to &quot;make it easier for us to get to the bottom of this.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/senate-osaa-says-presence-of-nbi-agents-in-senate-triggered-gunfire-2128">Senate OSAA says presence of NBI agents triggered gunfire<br/></a></div><p>Aplasca, a former police general, has admitted that he was the first to fire — a warning shot, he said — when he spotted a National Bureau of Investigation agent he said was already in the Senate premises.</p><p>The NBI has said its people were on the Government Service Insurance System side of the complex, part of which the Senate leases.</p><p>&quot;Hindi tayo puwede maglagay ng tao na maaring maka-impluwensya sa mga bagay na kailangan nating mabungkal,&quot; Remulla said, saying the suspension is meant to prevent &quot;undue influence&quot; in the investigation.</p><p>(We cannot leave someone there who could influence things we need to uncover)</p><p>He added the investigation will look into the NBI, the Senate&#x27;s Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms and the Philippine National Police that also had personnel in the area.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/sergeant-at-arms-senate-cannot-impose-protective-custody-on-bato-2013">Sergeant-at-arms: Senate cannot impose protective custody on Bato</a></div><p>Remulla — brother of Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who has administrative control of the police — said the gunfire indcident in a government office was unacceptable and that Aplasca fired first was worrisome.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung papaputukan mo, law enforcement? Ano &#x27;yun, mas mataas ba siya sa law enforcement?&quot; he stressed.</p><p>(You fire your gun at law enforcement? Is he higher than law enforcment?)</p><p>He said the sergeant-at-arms is meant to enforce Senate rules and that Aplasca&#x27;s actions should not be tolerated.</p><p>Remulla said the Office of the Ombudsman will also talk to senators about the incident.</p><div><em>This is a developing story </em></div>

<p>The Office of the Ombudsman has placed Mao Aplasca, the Senate's acting sergeant-at-arms, on preventive suspension for six months over the gunfire incident at the chamber last Wednesday night.</p>

The Office of the Ombudsman has placed Mao Aplasca, the Senate's acting sergeant-at-arms, on preventive suspension for six months over the gunfire incident at the chamber last Wednesday night.

Ombudsman places Senate security chief Aplasca on preventive suspension

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Ombudsman places Senate security chief Aplasca on preventive suspension

ABS-CBN News

Published May 15, 2026 02:13 PM PHT

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Updated May 15, 2026 02:24 PM PHT

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Senate

Mao Aplasca

Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms

Office of the Ombudsman

Jesus Crispin Remulla

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