MANILA — Tension escalated dramatically inside the Philippine Senate on Wednesday night after gunfire erupted amid ongoing efforts by authorities to arrest Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
An Associated Press journalist and several witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots inside the Senate complex, where dela Rosa has remained under Senate protective custody since Monday. Authorities have been attempting to serve an ICC-issued arrest warrant against the senator, a former Philippine National Police chief and one of the principal architects of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano briefly addressed reporters following the incident, confirming that Senate security personnel informed him that shots had been fired inside the building.
“The emotions are high here. This is the Senate of the Philippines and we are allegedly under attack,” Cayetano said before leaving without providing additional details.
As of late Wednesday night, authorities had not confirmed whether anyone was injured or what triggered the gunfire. Reuters and other international media outlets reported seeing armed military personnel entering the Senate complex as security forces tightened control of the area.
The ICC earlier unsealed an arrest warrant against dela Rosa, accusing him of crimes against humanity for the killings of at least 32 individuals between July 2016 and April 2018 during the height of the Duterte administration’s anti-drug operations. The warrant, originally issued confidentially in November 2025, alleges that dela Rosa played a key role in implementing policies that led to widespread killings during the campaign.
Human rights groups estimate that thousands of mostly poor drug suspects were killed during Duterte’s anti-drug crackdown, while police maintain that officers acted in self-defense during anti-narcotics operations.
Dela Rosa has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and vowed to challenge the ICC proceedings through all available legal remedies. On Wednesday evening, he appealed to supporters to gather outside the Senate and oppose what he described as his imminent arrest and possible transfer to The Hague.
The standoff began Monday after agents of the National Bureau of Investigation allegedly attempted to arrest dela Rosa inside the Senate complex. CCTV footage released by the Senate showed agents chasing the senator through hallways and stairwells before he reached the plenary hall and sought the protection of allied senators. The Senate later placed the chamber under lockdown and cited several pursuing agents in contempt.
The Department of Justice also reiterated this week that under Republic Act No. 9851, the Philippines may surrender a suspect to an international tribunal such as the ICC, further intensifying the legal and political battle surrounding the senator’s case.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Supreme Court has directed government respondents to comment within 72 hours on dela Rosa’s urgent petition seeking to block his arrest, detention, and transfer to the ICC.
The situation remained fluid late Wednesday, with heightened security around the Senate complex and authorities yet to clarify the circumstances behind the reported gunfire.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
