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Former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca filed his counter-affidavit before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, formally refuting charges of direct assault stemming from an armed standoff at the Senate premises in May. DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez confirmed that the submission occurred during the third preliminary investigation hearing regarding the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG). Following the submission, the DOJ granted the PNP-CIDG until November 6 to file a reply-affidavit. Should the complainant choose to submit a reply, Aplasca and two other respondents from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) will have until November 13 to file their rejoinder-affidavits to address any new allegations. The complaint against Aplasca stems from an incident on May 13, 2026, involving an armed confrontation between OSAA personnel and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents at the Senate building. According to investigators, NBI agents were attempting to serve an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Probers allege that Aplasca ordered his team into an armed standoff and fired warning shots at the NBI agents. Aplasca was previously dismissed from service by the Office of the Ombudsman in July for grave misconduct related to the security incident. Article source: The Daily Tribune | Image credit: The Daily Tribune
Former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca filed his counter-affidavit before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, formally refuting charges of direct assault stemming from an armed standoff at the Senate premises in May. DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez confirmed that the submission occurred during the third preliminary investigation hearing regarding the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG). Following the submission, the DOJ granted the PNP-CIDG until November 6 to file a reply-affidavit. Should the complainant choose to submit a reply, Aplasca and two other respondents from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) will have until November 13 to file their rejoinder-affidavits to address any new allegations. The complaint against Aplasca stems from an incident on May 13, 2026, involving an armed confrontation between OSAA personnel and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents at the Senate building. According to investigators, NBI agents were attempting to serve an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Probers allege that Aplasca ordered his team into an armed standoff and fired warning shots at the NBI agents. Aplasca was previously dismissed from service by the Office of the Ombudsman in July for grave misconduct related to the security incident.
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