Philippine NBI Driver Detained Over Senate Gunfire

MANILA, May 14 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Philippine police have taken into custody a suspect in a shooting that erupted inside the Senate building on Wednesday night. Authorities identified the man as a driver employed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), according to a police report released Thursday, reported Xinhua.

The statement identified the suspect as Mel Oragon,  a 44-year-old Filipino, who allegedly fired several shots using an undetermined firearm inside the Senate premises at around 7.50 pm. He was arrested by security detachment personnel stationed at the Senate right after the incident.

Amid tensions surrounding reports of an attempted arrest of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, gunshots were heard inside the Philippine Senate complex on Wednesday night, triggering chaos and confusion inside the building. The situation later calmed down, according to Senate officials.

Videos circulating on social media showed uniformed soldiers inside the Senate building before the incident, prompting questions about their presence.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, General Romeo Brawner, on Thursday said soldiers deployed in the Senate were part of the military's regular facility security detail and were not the ones who fired the shots.

"They were not among those who fired last night," he said.

Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos convened a meeting on Thursday morning to discuss the incident. He previously said that the authorities were gathering evidence and investigating the incident.

--  BERNAMA-XINHUA