Gunfire breaks out in Philippine Senate where authorities have tried to arrest a senator

Gunshots rang out in the Philippine Senate on Wednesday night as authorities attempted to arrest Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity. The ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for dela Rosa on Monday, charging him with the murder of at least 32 people between July 2016 and April 2018, when he led the national police under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug crackdowns. Dela Rosa, 64, has vowed to fight the warrant and called on supporters to gather in the Senate to prevent his arrest. Senate President Alan Cayetano confirmed gunfire occurred, stating security reported shots but declining further details. He described tensions as high, calling the Senate ‘under attack.’ National Bureau of Investigation agents tried to arrest dela Rosa on Monday, but he fled to the Senate plenary hall, where allied senators provided protective custody. Cayetano cited the agents for contempt. Dela Rosa, a former national police chief, has denied wrongdoing and pledged legal challenges against the ICC warrant. The incident follows months of legal maneuvers, with Philippine authorities seeking to detain him for potential extradition. Witnesses and an Associated Press journalist reported hearing gunfire, though injuries were unconfirmed at the time of the report. The Senate remains a focal point in the standoff, with dela Rosa’s allies refusing to surrender him. The situation underscores deep political divisions over accountability for the Duterte-era drug war, which resulted in thousands of deaths. Authorities have yet to clarify whether the gunfire was linked to the arrest attempt or another incident.