MANILA, Philippines – Was the commotion in the Senate on Wednesday night, May 13, a false flag operation to divert attention from Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s escape?

“That’s the sentiment of our NBI agents,” National Bureau of Investigation chief Melvin Matibag said in a Malacañang press briefing on Thursday, May 14, when asked about the speculation.

Matibag said they considered the scenario plausible since Dela Rosa had been in hiding the past six months. Dela Rosa, the “drug war architect” of the Rodrigo Duterte administration, is evading an International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for crimes against humanity charges over the war on drugs.

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Matibag also said that the NBI was at the GSIS side of the bridge connected to the Senate on Wednesday night upon the request of GSIS management. The latter wanted to secure their side amid the sudden influx of people at the Senate related to Dela Rosa’s reappearance at the Senate and his ICC arrest.

He said this also gave the NBI the opportunity to monitor the movement of Dela Rosa in relation to the ICC warrant.

“Kasi nandodoon kami of course hindi na rin lang para sa seguridad ng GSIS kundi ‘yung amin na ring mandato na siguraduhing na ‘yung isang tao na may mandato di arresto eh malaman namin kung saan pupunta,” Matibag said. (Because we were there of course not only for GSIS security, but for our mandate to ensure that we know the whereabouts of a person with mandato di arresto.)

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca’s discovery of an NBI agent drilling on the GSIS side of the bridge on Wednesday prompted warning shots, reportedly from Aplasca, followed by more gunshots.

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Dela Rosa reappeared at the Senate plenary on Monday, May 11, to vote for a new Senate president, Alan Peter Cayetano, as the House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte a second time. The senator was since been under “protective custody” of the Senate.

Matibag said on Thursday that several majority senators talked to him on Monday regarding the Senate’s protective custody of Dela Rosa. Amid still unvalidated reported that Dela Rosa was no longer in the Senate premises, Matibag urged those senators to protect not only Dela Rosa but also the law. – Rappler.com