Gunfire Erupts at Philippine Senate as Senator Dela Rosa Faces Arrest

More than a dozen gunshots were fired at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday evening as police and marines attempted to arrest Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. Journalists present at the scene reported running for cover as armed soldiers entered the legislative building, and security forces subsequently ordered an evacuation. It was not immediately clear who fired the shots.

Senator dela Rosa, a former police chief and key enforcer of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs,” had earlier posted a video on Facebook urging the public to gather at the Senate to prevent his arrest and stop him from being sent to The Hague. He claimed he was ready to face justice in the Philippines instead. Dela Rosa had been sheltering in his Senate office since Monday, under the protective custody of the Senate, after the ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for him last November on suspicion of crimes against humanity, the same charges Duterte faces.

During his time as police chief, dela Rosa oversaw a fierce crackdown in which police reported over 6,000 suspected drug dealers were killed in official operations, with thousands more users shot in vigilante-style murders. He denied involvement in illegal killings and maintained he served his country faithfully. Al Jazeera’s Jamela Alindogan noted that while violent incidents are not unusual in Manila, confrontations rarely erupt in halls of justice. She added that Duterte’s allies often reject international law and refuse accusations against them.