Gunshots Heard in Philippine Senate, Duterte's Anti-Drug War General Calls on Supporters to Block Arrest
Gunshots echoed in the Philippine Senate amidst chaos as Senator Dela Rosa, facing an ICC arrest warrant, urged supporters to prevent his arrest. President Marcos called for calm, and military police were deployed.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 02:33
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 03:02 (29 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 14, 2026 at 03:12 (9 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Manila 13th, comprehensive foreign reports) Gunshots rang out in the Philippine Senate tonight, creating a chaotic scene. This occurred after current Senator Dela Rosa, who has an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), called on supporters to mobilize to prevent his arrest, while authorities deployed military police to the scene.
Reuters reported that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged everyone to remain calm and stated that no government personnel were involved in the incident.
Reuters reporters heard more than 10 gunshots from the Senate, but no casualties have been reported so far.
Marcos said in a video statement: "We will find out the truth. As for whether this conflict is part of a destabilization effort? We still need to clarify that."
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, 64, a former Philippine National Police chief and a key enforcer of former President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody 'War on Drugs', hours earlier called on the public to take to the streets and block law enforcement officials to prevent him from falling into the hands of the ICC.
Marcos, however, stated that authorities had not ordered Dela Rosa's arrest.
The ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands, recently confirmed that it had issued an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa last year, accusing him of committing crimes against humanity during the controversial anti-drug war. The Philippine government is scheduled to arrest 81-year-old Duterte in March 2025 and send him to The Hague for trial; Duterte is also accused of committing the same crimes.
Authorities stated that Dela Rosa is currently safe; he denies any involvement in illegal killings during the anti-drug campaign launched by Duterte during his 2016-2022 presidency.
● Hiding in the Senate
Since the 11th, Dela Rosa has been hiding inside the Senate.
The Senate was heavily guarded today, with security personnel wearing bulletproof vests and carrying rifles, and police also deployed to the scene; at the same time, protesters gathered outside, some of whom demanded Dela Rosa's arrest.
Shortly before the gunshots, more than 10 soldiers in protective gear and carrying rifles entered the Senate. The military stated that this unit was deployed at the request of the Senate.
After fading from public view since November last year, Dela Rosa returned to the Senate for the first time this Monday, pleading with Marcos not to hand him over to the ICC.
He also filed an urgent petition with the Supreme Court, asking it to block any action to send him to The Hague. The court today requested all parties to respond within 72 hours.
● Duterte's Anti-Drug War General
Dela Rosa was one of Duterte's most important deputies, leading the tough anti-drug campaign during which thousands of alleged drug traffickers died.
Activists say the true death toll may never be known, as many drug users and small-time dealers mysteriously die in slums daily, with police blaming vigilante groups or territorial conflicts.
Dela Rosa stated that he is willing to be tried in Philippine courts and insists that any transfer to the ICC is illegal because the Philippines is no longer a signatory to the 'Rome Statute'.
The ICC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on tonight's incident. (Compiled by Liu Wen-yu) 1150514
Stand with facts. Every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.
(Central News Agency, Manila 13th, comprehensive foreign reports) Gunshots rang out in the Philippine Senate tonight, creating a chaotic scene. This occurred after current Senator Dela Rosa, who has an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), called on supporters to mobilize to prevent his arrest, while authorities deployed military police to the scene.
Reuters reported that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged everyone to remain calm and stated that no government personnel were involved in the incident.
Reuters reporters heard more than 10 gunshots from the Senate, but no casualties have been reported so far.
Marcos said in a video statement: "We will find out the truth. As for whether this conflict is part of a destabilization effort? We still need to clarify that."
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, 64, a former Philippine National Police chief and a key enforcer of former President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody 'War on Drugs', hours earlier called on the public to take to the streets and block law enforcement officials to prevent him from falling into the hands of the ICC.
Marcos, however, stated that authorities had not ordered Dela Rosa's arrest.
The ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands, recently confirmed that it had issued an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa last year, accusing him of committing crimes against humanity during the controversial anti-drug war. The Philippine government is scheduled to arrest 81-year-old Duterte in March 2025 and send him to The Hague for trial; Duterte is also accused of committing the same crimes.
Authorities stated that Dela Rosa is currently safe; he denies any involvement in illegal killings during the anti-drug campaign launched by Duterte during his 2016-2022 presidency.
● Hiding in the Senate
Since the 11th, Dela Rosa has been hiding inside the Senate.
The Senate was heavily guarded today, with security personnel wearing bulletproof vests and carrying rifles, and police also deployed to the scene; at the same time, protesters gathered outside, some of whom demanded Dela Rosa's arrest.
Shortly before the gunshots, more than 10 soldiers in protective gear and carrying rifles entered the Senate. The military stated that this unit was deployed at the request of the Senate.
After fading from public view since November last year, Dela Rosa returned to the Senate for the first time this Monday, pleading with Marcos not to hand him over to the ICC.
He also filed an urgent petition with the Supreme Court, asking it to block any action to send him to The Hague. The court today requested all parties to respond within 72 hours.
● Duterte's Anti-Drug War General
Dela Rosa was one of Duterte's most important deputies, leading the tough anti-drug campaign during which thousands of alleged drug traffickers died.
Activists say the true death toll may never be known, as many drug users and small-time dealers mysteriously die in slums daily, with police blaming vigilante groups or territorial conflicts.
Dela Rosa stated that he is willing to be tried in Philippine courts and insists that any transfer to the ICC is illegal because the Philippines is no longer a signatory to the 'Rome Statute'.
The ICC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on tonight's incident. (Compiled by Liu Wen-yu) 1150514
Stand with facts. Every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.