Gunshots erupted at the Philippine Senate in Manila on Wednesday, sending lawmakers, staff and visitors scrambling for cover amid fears Senator Ronald dela Rosa was about to be detained over an International Criminal Court warrant.
No casualties were immediately reported, Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza told reporters, as confusion persisted over who had opened fire.
Mendoza said law enforcement personnel, believed to be from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), had attempted to gain access to the Senate complex before shots were fired as they withdrew. The NBI, however, denied any involvement, with Director Melvin Matibag saying no agents had been deployed.
At the centre of the unfolding standoff is Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a former national police chief and a key enforcer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial “war on drugs”.
Earlier in the day, dela Rosa warned that his arrest was imminent following the unsealing of an ICC warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity. Speaking in a video posted from his Senate office, where he has sought refuge under legislative protection, he appealed for public support.
“I am appealing to you, I hope you can help me. Do not allow another Filipino to be brought to The Hague,” he said.
The 64-year-old lawmaker has strongly denied any role in illegal killings linked to the anti-drug campaign.
As tensions escalated, more than a dozen armed military personnel were deployed to the Senate complex. The armed forces said they had been asked to help secure the facility, while police formed cordons outside as protesters gathered.
Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla said it remained unclear who had fired the gunshots and that security footage would be reviewed. He also sought to reassure the public, stating that dela Rosa was safe and insisting no arrest operation was under way.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr echoed that message, urging calm and denying any government order to detain the senator.
“We will get to the bottom of this,” he said in a video statement, adding that authorities were investigating the incident.
The chaos follows a major escalation in the long-running ICC investigation into the Philippines’ anti-drug campaign. The Hague-based court earlier this week unsealed an arrest warrant for dela Rosa on charges of crimes against humanity - the same charges facing former president Duterte, who is already awaiting trial after his transfer to the Netherlands.
Dela Rosa has filed an emergency petition with the Philippine Supreme Court seeking to block any attempt to hand him over to the ICC, arguing that such a move would be unlawful because the Philippines withdrew from the court in 2018. The ICC maintains it has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was still a member.
Dela Rosa was widely seen as Duterte’s top lieutenant during a brutal crackdown that left thousands of suspected drug dealers dead. Police have consistently maintained that those killed were armed and resisted arrest.
However, human rights groups have accused authorities of systematic extrajudicial killings and cover-ups, with activists arguing the true death toll could be far higher, including victims of vigilante-style attacks in poorer communities.
The unfolding standoff has further heightened political tensions, with crowds gathering outside the heavily guarded Senate. Some called for dela Rosa’s arrest, while others backed the embattled lawmaker.
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called an emergency meeting of senior government and security officials on Thursday after gunfire erupted inside the Senate building in Manila, deepening an escalating political crisis centred on Senator Ronald dela Rosa.
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