Gunshots in Philippine Senate Raise Concerns of Instability; Military Urges Soldiers to Stay Away from Politics
A shooting incident at the Philippine Senate has sparked concerns about political instability. The military's chief of staff has instructed soldiers to stay away from politics and remain professional. The incident occurred amid deepening conflict between the Marcos and Duterte families.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 20:07
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 20:32 (25 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 15, 2026 at 02:21 (5h 48m after Collected)
Manila, May 14 (CNA) - Gunshots were heard in the Philippine Senate last night, raising concerns about political instability. Philippine Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner today instructed soldiers to remain professional and stay away from politics, emphasizing that no military personnel were involved in the shooting incident.
At least 10 gunshots were heard in the Philippine Senate on the evening of May 13. At the time, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted on an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC), was seeking refuge inside the Senate, drawing high public attention to whether the incident was related to a possible government arrest operation.
A tense standoff has formed, with the Senate attempting to protect dela Rosa and Philippine law enforcement agencies possibly cooperating with the ICC to execute the arrest warrant. The Presidential Palace stated today that the gunshots were warning shots exchanged between the Senate's security force and personnel from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), with no injuries reported.
Due to the escalating political rivalry in the Philippines in recent years, with the relationship between the families of former President Rodrigo Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. continuing to deteriorate, the gunshots in the Senate have sparked public fears of a coup or military mutiny.
In response, Brawner stated today that he has instructed soldiers to remain calm, disciplined, and professional. 'We should focus on our duties and leave politics to the politicians,' he said.
Although Philippine media captured footage of armed personnel in military uniform inside the Senate building last night, Brawner emphasized that the military was not involved in the incident and did not fire any shots.
Brawner explained that the soldiers deployed at the Senate belong to the 'Marine Security and Escort Group' (MSEG), whose mission is to protect the security of the Senate facilities, not individual senators.
He added that, similar to the U.S. system, the Philippine Marine Corps is also responsible for the facility security of some important government institutions, including the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Regarding concerns that the shooting incident might unsettle the military, Brawner expressed confidence in the professionalism of his troops and does not believe last night's event will trigger military unrest. Therefore, the military has not issued a red alert.
Investor confidence in the Philippines seems to be impacted by recent political instability caused by a rivalry between political families, as well as geopolitical factors such as the war in the Middle East. Official data shows that the Philippines' foreign direct investment (FDI) for the first two months of this year fell by 34.79% year-on-year, from US$1.584 billion to US$1.033 billion. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150514
At least 10 gunshots were heard in the Philippine Senate on the evening of May 13. At the time, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted on an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC), was seeking refuge inside the Senate, drawing high public attention to whether the incident was related to a possible government arrest operation.
A tense standoff has formed, with the Senate attempting to protect dela Rosa and Philippine law enforcement agencies possibly cooperating with the ICC to execute the arrest warrant. The Presidential Palace stated today that the gunshots were warning shots exchanged between the Senate's security force and personnel from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), with no injuries reported.
Due to the escalating political rivalry in the Philippines in recent years, with the relationship between the families of former President Rodrigo Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. continuing to deteriorate, the gunshots in the Senate have sparked public fears of a coup or military mutiny.
In response, Brawner stated today that he has instructed soldiers to remain calm, disciplined, and professional. 'We should focus on our duties and leave politics to the politicians,' he said.
Although Philippine media captured footage of armed personnel in military uniform inside the Senate building last night, Brawner emphasized that the military was not involved in the incident and did not fire any shots.
Brawner explained that the soldiers deployed at the Senate belong to the 'Marine Security and Escort Group' (MSEG), whose mission is to protect the security of the Senate facilities, not individual senators.
He added that, similar to the U.S. system, the Philippine Marine Corps is also responsible for the facility security of some important government institutions, including the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Regarding concerns that the shooting incident might unsettle the military, Brawner expressed confidence in the professionalism of his troops and does not believe last night's event will trigger military unrest. Therefore, the military has not issued a red alert.
Investor confidence in the Philippines seems to be impacted by recent political instability caused by a rivalry between political families, as well as geopolitical factors such as the war in the Middle East. Official data shows that the Philippines' foreign direct investment (FDI) for the first two months of this year fell by 34.79% year-on-year, from US$1.584 billion to US$1.033 billion. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150514