Gunshots Reported Inside Philippine Senate During Pursuit of Senator Over ICC Warrant

Gunshots were reported inside the Philippine Senate building Wednesday as armed forces entered to pursue a senator who had taken refuge there to avoid arrest on an International Criminal Court warrant. The senator, a former national police chief and key enforcer of the country's former anti-drug campaign, evaded local agents by scurrying through back halls and stairwells, falling at least once while trailed by aides.

The scene, captured on CCTV, prompted riot police to surround the Senate compound after the initial attempt to take him into custody failed. The ICC confirmed Monday it had issued the warrant citing the senator's alleged role in conspiring on crimes against humanity.

Prosecutors pointed to incidents in which 32 people were killed between 2016 and 2018 as part of the brutal anti-drug operations that independent monitors say claimed thousands of lives overall. More than 6,000 people were killed in anti-drug operations after the former president took office in 2016, according to police data, with many killings occurring in the poorest areas.

The former president was arrested at Manila’s international airport in March 2025 and remains in ICC custody awaiting trial. The Philippines was a signatory to the ICC but withdrew membership after the court began probing the drug war. The court maintains jurisdiction over crimes committed while the country was still a member, between 2016 and 2019.

Supporters of the senator and the former president gathered to protest the warrant. More than 100 camped outside the Senate building overnight, waving the national flag and blocking nearby roads before police dispersed them. The senator has denied the allegations and argued the ICC lacks jurisdiction without approval from the local Supreme Court.

" >"I will face it, as long as they follow the proper process. If there is a legitimate warrant of arrest, they should bring it before the local court. " — Senator, May 2026 (CNN) The senator rose to prominence through his close relationship with the former president, serving as police chief first in Davao City and later nationally.

The operations involved tactics known as “oplan tokhang,” in which low-level dealers were allegedly coerced to surrender and then executed. An ICC spokesperson told CNN the court relies on states' cooperation to implement arrest warrants and will need national authorities to arrest and surrender the suspect.

By Wednesday the situation remained in a stalemate with the senator inside the building under what the government described as protective custody.

The senator had appeared publicly Monday at the Senate amid a separate political confrontation involving the vice president, daughter of the former president. The House of Representatives voted to impeach the vice president on accusations including misuse of public funds and plotting to assassinate the current president.

Senators aligned with the former president's family voted to change leadership of the chamber that day. The senator's evasion of arrest occurred shortly afterward.

A representative of Amnesty International Philippines stated the government should immediately arrest the senator to face charges alongside the former president. The representative noted the senator's key role in directing police during the anti-drug campaign and said his position should not shield him from accountability.

The former president has long denied human rights abuses and argued drug issues should be handled by domestic law enforcement rather than foreign courts. He has said he will not submit to ICC jurisdiction.