Gunfire Erupts in Philippine Senate During Arrest Attempt

Gunfire erupted inside the Philippine Senate on Wednesday evening during an attempt to arrest Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity related to his role in former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. The incident caused chaos and prompted a lockdown of the building.

The gunfire broke out as Philippine authorities attempted to arrest Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former national police chief who enforced former President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug efforts from 2016 to 2018 according to multiple sources. Allied senators had taken dela Rosa into 'protective custody' on Monday after he reappeared following months of absence. Several senators were still in the building after holding a session when the gunshots were heard by a throng of journalists.

Senate President Alan Cayetano briefly appeared before journalists shortly after the shots were fired but could not provide details as reported by CBS News. 'The emotions are high here,' Cayetano said. 'This is the Senate of the Philippines, and we are allegedly under attack.' Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla Jr later arrived with top police officials and stated he was deployed by the president to secure the senators but denied coming to arrest dela Rosa per HuffPost.

The ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for dela Rosa on Monday. Originally issued in November 2023, the warrant charges dela Rosa with the crime against humanity of murdering 'no less than 32 persons' between July 2016 and April 2018 when he led the national police force under Duterte per BBC News. Dela Rosa, 64, has vowed to fight the ICC arrest order. He called on his followers Wednesday night to gather in the Senate to prevent what he said was his impending arrest.

The incident underscores the tense political atmosphere in Manila, with deep divisions between the Duterte family and current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as reported by BBC News. The disputes reflect long-standing political tensions that have plagued the Philippines. The Senate is currently controlled by allies of Duterte, whose daughter Sara is the vice president.

The National Bureau of Investigation agents tried to arrest dela Rosa on Monday, but he managed to dash to the Senate's plenary hall and sought the help of fellow senators according to HuffPost. Cayetano said then that he would cite the government agents involved for contempt. Duterte was arrested in March 2025 and flown to The Hague where he is still in detention facing trial on killings from his crackdown, in which dela Rosa has also been accused per Los Angeles Times.

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte opened on Monday amid political turmoil and deep division. The high-stakes case could see the vice-president banned from holding public office, derailing her ambition to win the presidency in 2028 as reported by Al Jazeera. Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano declared the trial open, having been installed as head of the upper house in a vote on May 11.

The opening of the trial saw Sara Duterte given 10 days to respond to accusations that she has misused public funds, amassed unexplained wealth, and threatened the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the first lady, and a former House speaker. Duterte has denied wrongdoing and called the impeachment politically motivated as reported by Al Jazeera.

The trial comes with her father in ICC custody in The Hague facing charges for crimes against humanity due to his 'war on drugs'. President Marcos has sought to distance himself from the impeachment, saying it is a legislative matter. Dozens of protesters rallied outside the Senate building, some supporting Duterte and others calling for her conviction.