Gunfire erupted inside the Philippine Senate late Wednesday as tensions escalated over the possible arrest of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his role in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody anti-drug campaign.
No injuries were reported, but the Senate complex in Manila was placed under lockdown after shots rang out inside the building where dela Rosa had sought refuge while facing possible arrest.
Military personnel and police commandos were seen entering the Senate building as anti-riot police secured the perimeter. Journalists inside the complex reported hearing several bursts of gunfire, causing panic among them, lawmakers, and staff.
Authorities have yet to determine who fired the shots or what triggered the incident.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said President Bongbong Marcos had ordered security forces to protect senators amid the tense situation.
“We are not here to arrest Senator Dela Rosa. In fact, we are here to protect him,” Remulla told reporters after arriving at the Senate with top police officials.
He said Dela Rosa remained inside the Senate under security protection and confirmed that no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, who briefly appeared to talk to the media and before Remulla arrived, said emotions inside the chamber were high following the gunfire.
“This is the Senate of the Philippines, and we are allegedly under attack,” Cayetano told reporters shortly after the incident.
The incident came days after the ICC unsealed an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa over allegations of crimes against humanity tied to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug operations from 2016 to 2018.
The warrant accuses Dela Rosa, who served as Philippine National Police chief during the height of the drug war, of involvement in the killing of at least 32 people during anti-drug operations.
Dela Rosa has repeatedly denied ordering or condoning extrajudicial killings and insisted he should only face charges before Philippine courts.
Earlier Wednesday, he appealed to supporters to gather outside the Senate to prevent what he described as his imminent arrest and transfer to The Hague, where Duterte has been detained since March 2025.
“We should not allow another Filipino to be brought to The Hague,” dela Rosa said in a Facebook message.
Government agents from the National Bureau of Investigation earlier attempted to arrest dela Rosa this week, but he managed to enter the Senate session hall and sought protection from allied senators.
The standoff further exposed growing political tensions between the Marcos and Duterte camps. The Senate is currently controlled by allies of Duterte, whose daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, is facing impeachment proceedings initiated by the House of Representatives.
Sara Duterte has accused the Marcos administration of allowing what she described as the “kidnapping” of her father after he was arrested and transferred to the ICC detention facility in The Hague.
The ICC maintains it still has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed before the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019. Last month, ICC judges rejected Duterte’s argument questioning the court’s authority, clearing the way for trial proceedings to continue against the former president.
