Tracing the shells: DOJ demands audit of Senate weapons arsenal

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) panel of prosecutors has issued a flurry of subpoenas to secure documents and firearms records under the Senate’s arsenal, appearing to zero in on its target, the 9mm CZ Scorpion Evo from which most of the shots were reportedly fired.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police said of the 44 spent shells recovered after the May 13 shooting incident at the Senate, 39 came from three guns under the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (Osaa).

Of the 39 spent shells, 26 fired cartridge cases were traced to a 9mm CZ Scorpion Evo3 S1, a semiautomatic pistol registered to Osaa. There are reports that the same firearm was dela Rosa’s weapon of choice for home defense.

The specific firearm appears to be the specific target of the panel of investigators. 

READ: CIDG says Bato dela Rosa still in PH

“Records pertaining to ownership of the particular firearm which we have viewed in the video, particularly what they call Scorpion,” Justice Secretary Fredderic Vida said.

The panel wants to determine who purchased the weapon, how it entered the Senate inventory, and who was authorized to carry it at that time.

The panel also issued a subpoena at the Office of the Senate Secretary for the the official oath of office of retired Police General Ma.O Aplasca.

The panel also wants a comprehensive audit of the Senate security’s arsenal as it requested the following agencies for official records:

• The Senate Secretary for the internal inventory and individual issuance receipts;
• The Commission on Audit (COA) to produce state auditing records and asset inventories, specifically tracking firearms purchased using public funds for the Senate;
• The Philippine National Police, specifically its Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) to yield all registration data for firearms registered under the ownership of the Senate.

The panel also wants the physical timelines inside the Senate, as it also issued a subpoena for the Senate’s official visitor and security logs.

“Every time we go in, you identify yourself, you put in the time, you put in the details of your entry into the Senate, and when you also exit, there’s also particular details in that matter,” the Justice Secretary told reporters, emphasizing that these logs will provide crucial verification of who was present during key dates relevant to the case. /mr