Summary
Gunfire erupted late Wednesday in the Philippine Senate after authorities attempted to arrest Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former national police chief wanted by the International Criminal Court in connection with the Duterte-era anti-drug crackdown. Officials said the incident did not leave anyone injured, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked the public to stay calm in televised remarks.
The shooting broke out while Senate staff and lawmakers were still in the building after a session, and it began during a day when allied senators had placed dela Rosa under “protective custody.” Several senators were inside when the gunshots were heard by a group of journalists, including reporters from The Associated Press. Armed security personnel, including members of the military, ran through the area with guns ready and later asked employees to leave as tensions eased.
Senate President Alan Cayetano appeared briefly before reporters shortly after the shots were fired but did not provide details on what happened. He said, “The emotions are high here,” and added, “This is the Senate of the Philippines, and we are allegedly under attack.” Cayetano had earlier described similar steps taken by authorities during the effort to arrest dela Rosa.
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla Jr. arrived later with top police officials and said he had been deployed by the president to secure senators. Remulla said he did not come to arrest dela Rosa, who remained in the Senate building. Remulla and police officials said an investigation was underway and that security cameras would be reviewed to determine who fired and their intentions.
The arrest attempt is tied to the ICC’s pursuit of dela Rosa following Monday’s unsealing of an arrest warrant. The warrant, first issued in November, accuses dela Rosa of the crime against humanity of murder of “no less than 32 persons” between July 2016 and the end of April 2018, when he led the national police force under Duterte. The ICC did not offer an immediate comment on the events in Manila.
Dela Rosa, 64, has vowed to fight the ICC arrest order. In a Facebook message, he told followers to gather in the Senate to prevent what he said was his impending arrest, and he blamed politics for his predicament, calling the situation “unacceptable.” He said he was ready to face allegations in Philippine courts and denied that he condoned extrajudicial killings when he led the police force, while Duterte has also denied such accusations.
On Monday, Philippine investigators tried to arrest dela Rosa, but he managed to reach the Senate’s plenary hall and sought help from fellow senators. Cayetano said at the time he would cite the government agents involved for contempt, and the Senate later wrestled with internal political pressure around a proposed resolution calling on dela Rosa to surrender. Five senators urged dela Rosa to be turned over to authorities, but his allies opposed the move in a heated exchange that included a leadership contest inside the Senate.
The developments unfolded against a backdrop of long-standing political division. After winning the presidency in 2016, Duterte appointed dela Rosa as head of the national police force that carried out the anti-drug effort that drew alarm from Western governments and human rights groups, and dela Rosa previously headed the police in Davao, where Duterte was mayor and built a political reputation for a hardline approach to crime. Vice President Sara Duterte, who has blamed Marcos for allowing what she called the “kidnapping” of her father and his handover to the ICC, has also been in a separate political dispute that has moved toward a Senate tribunal.