Shots fired in Philippines Senate, where a wanted senator is holed up

A burst of gunfire rang retired Wednesday nighttime successful the Philippine Senate, wherever authorities person tried to apprehension a legislator who is wanted by the International Criminal Court connected a complaint of transgression against humanity, an Associated Press writer and different witnesses said.

It wasn't instantly wide what acceptable disconnected the gunfire oregon if determination were injuries successful the Senate, wherever Sen. Ronald dela Rosa has stayed successful protective custody by allied senators arsenic Philippine authorities tried to apprehension him and perchance crook him implicit aboriginal to the ICC.

An equipped Senate information defender stands astatine the entranceway to the Senate gathering successful Manila connected May 13, 2026 aft gunshots were heard wrong the Senate building. Ted ALJIBE/AFP/Getty

Senate President Alan Cayetano concisely appeared earlier journalists successful the Senate and confirmed that helium has been told by the building's information that gunshots were fired, but helium didn't supply different details and hastily left.

"The emotions are precocious here," Cayetano said. "This is the Senate of the Philippines and we are allegedly nether attack."

On Monday, the ICC unsealed an apprehension warrant for dela Rosa, a erstwhile nationalist constabulary main who archetypal enforced past President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug crackdowns, successful which thousands of mostly petty suspects were killed.

Originally issued successful November, the warrant charges dela Rosa with the transgression against humanity of execution of "no little than 32 persons" betwixt July 2016 and the extremity of April 2018, erstwhile helium led the nationalist constabulary unit nether Duterte.

Dela Rosa, 64, has vowed to combat the ICC apprehension bid and said that helium would question each ineligible remedies. He besides called connected his followers connected Wednesday nighttime to stitchery successful the Senate to forestall what helium said was his impending arrest.

National Bureau of Investigation agents tried to apprehension dela Rosa connected Monday, but helium managed to dash to the Senate's plenary hallway and sought the assistance of chap senators. Cayetano said past that helium would mention the authorities agents progressive for contempt.

In:

• Philippines