Gunfire Erupts in Philippine Senate as Authorities Try to Arrest Sen. Ronald dela Rosa

Gunfire erupted inside the Philippine Senate on Wednesday night as authorities tried to arrest Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former national police chief wanted by the International Criminal Court over his role in Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug crackdown.

“More than a dozen gunshots rang out at the Philippine Senate as police and marines moved in to arrest a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity”

Al Jazeera

The standoff unfolded as the Senate was under lockdown and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked the public to stay calm, while Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla Jr. said he was deployed to secure senators and that an investigation was underway.

Al Jazeera

The ICC warrant unsealed on Monday charged dela Rosa with the crime against humanity of murder of "no less than 32 persons" between July 2016 and the end of April 2018, and officials said no one was hurt in the Wednesday gunfire.

In the chaos, Senate President Alan Cayetano told reporters, "The emotions are high here," and added, "This is the Senate of the Philippines, and we are allegedly under attack."

NBC News reported that Marcos said no government personnel were involved and that there were no immediate reports of casualties as troops had been deployed after dela Rosa urged supporters to thwart his imminent arrest.

As gunfire rang out, Al Jazeera’s Jamela Alindogan said, "About 15 shots were fired and we were forced to pull back," describing journalists scrambling for cover as soldiers with rifles and protective gear moved up the stairs.

Alindogan also said security forces then ordered the evacuation of the building, while it remained unclear who fired the shots or why.

Associated Press

In contrast, the BBC reported that officials had not revealed who fired the shots and said there were no casualties, and it quoted Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla saying, "We are not here to arrest Senator Dela Rosa," and that he was there to protect him.

The BBC further said Senate speaker Alan Peter Cayetano asked the public to send "any videos that could help with the investigation" as the Senate remained locked down with senators holed up inside.

NBC News added that Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza said people he believed to be agents of the justice ministry’s National Bureau of Investigation attempted to enter and fired shots as they retreated, while NBI Director Melvin Matibag told GMA News that no agents had been deployed.

The gunfire came as dela Rosa said his arrest was imminent and urged supporters to gather in the Senate to prevent him from being detained and sent to The Hague, where the ICC is based.

“Lockdown in Philippine Senate after gunshots fired The Philippine Senate was locked down with military personnel seen entering the building where a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) had sought refuge”

BBC

He told supporters, "Do not allow another Filipino to be brought to The Hague," and the ICC arrest warrant was dated November, with the ICC unsealing it on Monday after it was originally issued in November.

The BBC said his lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court to block his extradition, and it reported that no one had been arrested for the shooting while the government continued investigating who opened fire.

Beyond the immediate incident, the standoff was tied to the broader ICC case in which the ICC accused dela Rosa of killing dozens of people when he was police chief during Duterte’s war on drugs, and it said Duterte has been held at The Hague since March 2025.

The stakes extended to Philippine politics as the Senate was controlled by allies of Duterte, and the BBC said the lower house voted to start impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday while the Senate had the power to block it.