MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday appealed for calm following the tension that gripped the Senate.
In a video, the chief executive disclosed he was closely monitoring developments at the upper house and immediately called Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Melvin Matibag to seek clarification on the shooting incident that occurred.
“We don't know who tried to enter and then because of that there was a shooting, we will find out, we are taking and collecting that, all the evidence that is there. We need to know that. That's why the Senate and the PNP (Philippine National Police) will investigate this together. I can only say that so that the people don't worry, the government did not do this,” he said in Filipino.
“We agreed that the thing to do now is to tell our people all to calm down and we will get to the bottom of this. We will find out who really did this”, he added.
Marcos likewise assured the public and Dela Rosa that he there are no orders to arrest the senator following the Supreme Court’s order for the government to comment on his petition.
Dela Rosa has been declared “wanted” by the International Criminal Court (ICC) is charged for his purported criminal responsibility as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in the killings connected to the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs. He is now under protective custody of the Senate.
“And one more thing, I want to let you all know, there is no instruction to anyone to arrest Senator Bato,” he said.
“Just stay calm, trust that your government won't do this,” he added.
