Cayetano questions credibility of Senate threat intel from NBI

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano questioned on Tuesday the credibility of a reported Senate security threat, saying the information came from a “clearly partisan” National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Earlier, Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian said there was a potential security threat in the chamber, citing the NBI’s information.

Cayetano said not all senators were informed of the supposed threat.

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“If the threat is credible, then every senator, every member of the Secretariat, and every individual who works within these walls deserves to be informed and protected,” Cayetano said in a statement.

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“Why was this information shared with some Senators and not others? What is the nature of the threat, who assessed it, and on what evidence?” he added.

READ: Intel reports cite threats to Senate, says Gatchalian

Cayetano also said the NBI, as a source of information, must be weighed.

“A clearly partisan NBI that was itself a party to violence within these walls cannot credibly appoint itself the guardian of our safety,” he said.

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He was referring to when the NBI supposedly blocked Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa from entering the Senate session hall, while attempting to serve his arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for crimes of humanity.

During the gunfire incident in the Senate, NBI agents fired five warning shots. The first shot was fired by former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Ma.O Aplasca, and over 20 more gunshots came from the side of the Senate.

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It must be noted that NBI Director Melvin Matibag also called the blue ribbon panel of the new Senate majority, which ousted Cayetano, “legitimate.”

Cayetano said Matibag’s remark showed that the latter “discarded even the appearance of neutrality in the internal dispute of a co-equal branch.”

However, Malacañang and the House of Representatives have recognized Gatchalian as the Pro Tempore since his election on June 3.

READ: Palace advises Gatchalian bloc: Don’t trust Cayetano

Cayetano also pointed out the absence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in the assessment of the supposed threat.

“Since when has the NBI been the lead agency on matters of national intelligence and security? Where, in all of this, are the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police—the institutions actually mandated to assess and respond to threats of this nature?” he asked.

Cayetano also clarified that his questioning is not due to his biases.

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“These are not partisan questions. They are questions of governance. Which is why we should never take such information at face value—we establish the facts first,” he said. /mcm