The Philippine Senate was locked down after gunshots were heard at the Manila complex where ICC-wanted Sen. Ronald dela Rosa had taken refuge.
Officials said there were no casualties and that Dela Rosa was safe with security personnel. The source of the gunfire remained unclear, and the government denied it had launched an operation to arrest him.
Security forces were seen entering or surrounding the Senate building after Dela Rosa said he believed his arrest was imminent and urged Filipinos to stop any transfer to The Hague. Television footage showed police commandos in fatigues inside the building and riot police at the perimeter; Reuters journalists cited by CBC also saw more than 10 military personnel arrive, some carrying assault rifles.
Dela Rosa, 64, served as police chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte and was a central figure in Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, during which thousands of alleged drug suspects were killed. The ICC has accused Dela Rosa in connection with the crackdown, and CBC and The Guardian reported that the court unsealed or confirmed an arrest warrant for him this week. Dela Rosa has denied involvement in illegal killings.
The confusion deepened as officials offered differing accounts of who entered the Senate and who fired. Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza told reporters that law enforcement officers believed to be from the National Bureau of Investigation had tried to enter the Senate and fired as they retreated. NBI director Melvin Matibag, however, told GMA News that no NBI agents had been deployed.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said authorities still did not know who opened fire and that security footage would need to be reviewed. He said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had ordered officials to secure the senators and insisted the government was not there to detain Dela Rosa.
“We are not here to arrest Senator Dela Rosa,” Remulla said. “In fact, we are here to protect him.”
No one had been arrested over the shooting, Remulla said. Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano asked the public to submit any videos that could help investigators.
Dela Rosa has sought legal protection as the ICC case advances. His lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to block any attempt to transfer him to The Hague, and CBC reported that the court gave parties to the emergency petition 72 hours to respond.
The standoff comes amid a wider political rupture between the Duterte family and Marcos. Duterte has been held at The Hague since 2025 as he faces ICC proceedings tied to the drug war. The lower house of Congress also voted this week to start impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, with the Senate expected to play a decisive role in what happens next.
For now, the Senate remained under lockdown, Dela Rosa remained inside under security protection, and officials had yet to publicly identify who fired the shots.
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