Cayetano: Senate shooting was an ‘attack’
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday maintained that the purported shooting at the chamber on Wednesday night was an “attack.”
In a press conference at the Senate, Cayetano detailed that personnel from the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) had fired 27 shots, while five shots originated “from the other side” during the chaotic events at the chamber on Wednesday night.
Asked whether he still considered the incident an attack on the Senate given these developments, Cayetano said in Filipino,” If I had pointed a gun at you and broken into your home while carrying a gun, if you fired a warning shot and I fired back, is it not an attack?”
“Sorry, but I don’t think there’s any question. The Senate was under attack!” he said.
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Citing a report from Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Cayetano said OSAA personnel had spotted several male individuals wearing black bulletproof vests who were allegedly attempting to enter the chamber.
“The OSAA gave a verbal warning, but the other side did not stop trying to enter the Senate, so they fired shots into the air. The problem was that the other side fired back,” Cayetano said in Filipino.
No casualties were reported from the incident. /mcm
