Gunfire Erupts in Philippine Senate During Standoff Over Senator Ronald dela Rosa
More than a dozen rounds of gunfire rang out inside the Philippine Senate on the night of May 13, 2026, shortly after police and marines entered the complex. No injuries were reported as senators hid in their offices. The incident occurred as Sen.
manilatimes.netMultiple gunshots sent Philippine senators into hiding in their offices late Wednesday, according to AFP journalists at the scene. No injuries have been reported.
Post by @AFP on X
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano livestreamed from inside the building, stating “I don’t know what is happening.” He later posted on Facebook that senators were locked in their rooms, could not go out, and could not secure staff.
Cayetano said he and others were not going to leave Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Dela Rosa, 64, has remained inside the Senate building since May 11, 2026, after evading arrest by running into the plenary hall, an episode captured on security footage.
An ICC arrest warrant for dela Rosa was unsealed on May 12, 2026. The warrant charges him with murder as a crime against humanity involving no less than 32 persons from July 2016 through April 2018, when he headed the national police during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla entered the Senate building and told media, “I will not arrest Senator Bato. I am here to secure everyone.” Remulla said security footage would be reviewed and that those responsible for the gunfire would be found.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that no government forces tried to enter the Senate and characterized the incident as a clash between an unidentified armed group and Senate security. He promised an investigation into the gunfire.
More than 10 military personnel in camouflage fatigues carrying assault rifles were present at the Senate. The Senate requested military help to assist in securing the facility, according to Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the military’s public affairs office.
Melvin Matibag, NBI director, stated he had not deployed any personnel to the Senate. Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza told reporters there had not been any casualties reported from the gunfire.
Dela Rosa filed an emergency petition to the Supreme Court to block any attempt to send him to the ICC. The Supreme Court gave all parties 72 hours to respond to dela Rosa’s petition.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila in March 2025 and is in ICC custody at The Hague. The Philippines withdrew from the ICC under Duterte’s administration, though ICC judges retained jurisdiction over conduct in the Philippines between 2016 and 2019.
The events came days after the House impeached Vice President Sara Duterte on May 11, 2026. Sara Duterte is the daughter of Rodrigo Duterte.
Transparency
Lede and title foreground the dramatic 'gunfire' and hiding senators over the core substantive event: an active ICC arrest warrant for crimes against humanity and the Senate shielding a fugitive senator.
Lede misdirection: headline centers on gunfire and hiding instead of ICC warrant and Senate shielding a murder suspect
The same facts could be read as the Marcos administration aggressively targeting political opponents from the Duterte camp through a court the Philippines has formally rejected, with the chaotic senate incident possibly manufactured to justify intervention aga
3 independent outlets report the same core facts. This score blends how many outlets corroborate, their editorial tier, and how closely their facts agree — it measures corroboration, not proof.
Sources framed at 65; our rewrite scored 65 — in line with the sources.
Story details
Related Stories
Fox NewsJustice Department Abandons $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress the department will not proceed with the fund. A separate agreement shielding President Donald Trump and his businesses from past IRS claims remains in place.
**Trump Administration Scraps $1.8 Billion Compensation Fund**
The Justice Department will not create a planned $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate people who say they were improperly targeted by federal law enforcement. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers the department is abandoning the program entirely.
Al JazeeraVoters in Six States Hold Primaries to Set November Field
Primary elections are underway in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. The contests will determine nominees for House, Senate and governor races ahead of the fall midterms.