MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman placed acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca under preventive suspension for six months over his alleged firing of a gun that triggered the shooting incident inside the Senate last Wednesday, May 13.

In a report, it said that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Aplasca, who admitted firing a warning shot, will be investigated in connection with the incident involving National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel.

“Siya po ang unang nagpaputok. Papaputukan mo, law enforcement? We do not tolerate that,” Remulla said in a press conference.

“That is why we need to investigate. Mahirap patawarin iyong ginawa nilang ‘yun. Di po ito katanggap-tanggap. Ano karapatan niyang gawin yun? Sino siya?” he added.

Aplasca earlier admitted that he fired the first warning shot against NBI agents who were on the GSIS building.

Following the shooting incident, Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa was able to leave the Senate amid an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant linked to alleged crimes against humanity over drug war deaths.