Philippine Senator Wanted by ICC Flees Senate After Gunfire

A Philippine senator sought by the International Criminal Court fled the Senate building where he had sought protective custody to avoid arrest, officials said Thursday. Sen. Ronald dela Rosa's exit came after security personnel fired volleys of gunshots Wednesday night during an argument with a government agent inside the heavily guarded complex in Pasay.

The gunfire sparked chaos that apparently enabled the senator to slip out before dawn, according to multiple reports. A police investigation is underway, including into suspicions that the incident was instigated to provide cover for the escape. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

made a late-night television statement asking the public to remain calm.

Cayetano told reporters there was no obstruction of justice regarding dela Rosa's departure while under the chamber's protective custody. He stated that he had not seen any ICC warrant of arrest and that the senator was free to leave the premises. Cayetano read a text message from dela Rosa's wife at a news briefing Thursday.

The message thanked senators for their support, apologized for the "confusion and havoc" caused, and said the longer the senator stayed inside, the more others would be dragged into the situation. " — Senate President Alan Cayetano, May 14, 2026 (Los Angeles Times) Critics said Cayetano and the Senate's security chief should be held responsible for the escape.

One political science professor at the University of the Philippines called for the Senate leadership to be held accountable, stating that protecting the senator had made the institution a laughing stock.

Background on the Warrant A warrant unsealed Monday by the ICC charges dela Rosa with the crime against humanity of murder of no less than 32 persons. The period covered is between July 2016 and the end of April 2018, when he led the national police force and enforced anti-drug operations.

Dela Rosa, 64, has denied authorizing extrajudicial killings. The charges form part of a broader ICC case tied to thousands of deaths during a crackdown on illegal drugs that mostly affected men from poor urban areas. The senator had been absent from the Senate for months due to fears of possible arrest.

He suddenly appeared Monday, arriving in Cayetano's car. National Bureau of Investigation agents attempted to serve the warrant, but dela Rosa ran toward a narrow stairway into the plenary hall and received protective custody from allied senators.

and Impeachment Proceedings Dela

Rosa's legal situation coincides with escalating political disputes between rival political families. Vice President Sara Duterte was impeached Monday by the House of Representatives, which is dominated by the president's allies, over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds and a public threat against the president, his wife and the House speaker.

She has denied any wrongdoing but has refused to answer specific allegations in detail. The Senate will convene as an impeachment court on Monday at the earliest to prepare for her trial, Cayetano said. Cayetano, who gained the Senate presidency Monday with support from 13 of 24 senators, is a longtime ally of the vice president's family.

A police spokesperson, Randulf Tuaño, said the shooting was being investigated and that one person detained had provided names that were being verified. It remains unclear exactly how dela Rosa managed to leave the building. Maria Ela L. Atienza, a professor at the University of the Philippines department of political science, said the events affirmed the need for the senator to be tried at the ICC by highlighting double standards in the domestic justice system.

" — Maria Ela L. Atienza, University of the Philippines, May 14, 2026 (The Guardian) The Senate tightened security after the gunfire, with journalists scrambling for cover. An activist protest outside the building on Wednesday had called for dela Rosa's arrest.