Gunfire broke out yesterday amid chaotic scenes at the Philippine Senate, after gunmen attempted to enter areas of the building where Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is hiding to avoid an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Dela Rosa, the main leader of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s violent “war on drugs” campaign, holed up in his Senate office on Monday after fleeing agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Hours later, the ICC announced it had unsealed an arrest warrant for the 64-year-old for crimes against humanity. The arrest warrant, initially issued on November 6, was issued after the Pre-Trial Chamber “found reasonable grounds” that Dela Rosa was “criminally responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator… of the crime against humanity of murder.”
The same day, a Senate coup installed Sen. Peter Allan Cayetano, a Duterte ally, as speaker of the chamber, who immediately declared Dela Rosa under the Senate’s protection.
Inquirer.net reported that the gunfire erupted after unidentified gunmen attempted to enter the area of the Senate building where Dela Rosa is currently hiding.
Chaos then ensued in the crowded upper rooms of the building. “The sound of several gunshots caused journalists to flee for cover, minutes after law enforcement armed with rifles and protective gear climbed the stairs of the legislative building,” he said. Reuters journalists said they “heard more than a dozen gunshots ring out toward the Senate as those inside rushed for cover,” the news agency reported.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla later told media that the first shots were fired by members of the Senate Office of the Sergeant at Arms (OSAA).
“Around 7:46 p.m., armed men attempted to enter through the second floor but were stopped by OSAA,” Remulla said. “They had guns with them but OSAA fired warning shots. They retreated back and then started shooting.” He said there were no casualties.
The identity of the gunmen is unclear. The heads of the NBI and the Philippine National Police (PNP) later denied any involvement of their men, and Remulla said they did not come to arrest Dela Rosa under the ICC arrest warrant. “We don’t know who is behind this, but we will find them,” he said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also called for calm and said the government was not responsible for the incident, Inquirer.net reported. He added that the Senate and the PNP would thoroughly investigate the matter.
“We will find out who caused this trouble,” he said in a video message. “Was it really just an encounter, or was it related to destabilization efforts or people trying to cause trouble?” PNP Police Chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said his agency is working with OSAA “to ensure that nothing is left to chance.”
Dela Rosa is believed to have escaped from the Senate building since yesterday’s events, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. “Several sources have confirmed that Senator Bato is no longer in the Senate premises,” Claire Castro, Palace press secretary, said at a press briefing today.
Dela Rosa is wanted by the ICC for his leading role in the anti-drug campaign that raged throughout Duterte’s six years in office (2016-2022). Official estimates of the number of people killed during the campaign range from around 6,000 to 30,000.
Duterte was arrested in March 2025 and extradited to the ICC for his role in the campaign. He is expected to stand trial after a preliminary commission ruled last month that there were “substantial grounds” to believe the 81-year-old was guilty of crimes against humanity. Dela Rosa had long been expected to be next in line, and before Monday’s dramatic Senate leak, he had not appeared in public since November.
Shortly before yesterday’s strange episode, Dela Rosa had urged the population to mobilize to block his arrest and surrender to the ICC.
“I appeal to you, I hope you can help me. Don’t allow another Filipino to be brought to The Hague,” he said in a Facebook video from his Senate office, Reuters reported.
The ICC impasse is closely linked to the ongoing political feud between the Duterte family and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., its former ally. After coming to power in 2022, Marcos initially called on the ICC to drop the Philippine drug war case and claimed it had no jurisdiction over the Philippines, but as his relationship with Duterte deteriorated, he reconsidered his opposition to prosecutions of his political rival. When the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Duterte in February 2025, he authorized the police to execute it.
The feud also resulted in the impeachment of Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, who was twice impeached by the House of Representatives for various transgressions, most recently on Monday.
The current drama in the Senate clearly marks an intensification of the feud and a sign that it has become a matter of political life and death for the Duterte and Marcos clans and their respective supporters. With Dela Rosa now on the run and gunmen involved, the rivalry appears set to intensify even further.