The Philippine president convened an emergency meeting of senior officials on Thursday amid escalating political tensions, a day after gunfire erupted at the Senate, where a lawmaker sought by the International Criminal Court has been sheltering out of fear of arrest.
Gunshots were heard late on Wednesday inside the Senate building and people inside scrambled for cover, hours after Senator Ronald dela Rosa, better known as “Bato” or “Rock”, appealed on social media for supporters to mobilise, saying law enforcement agents were coming to take him from the legislature, where he had taken refuge.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, the former national police chief and chief enforcer of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “war on drugs”, is wanted for crimes against humanity, the same charges Duterte is accused of.
The incident sparked chaos and confusion, with a heavy presence of police and armed guards at the Senate, protests outside and more than a dozen shots fired just moments after marines were called in to bolster security.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr was meeting government and security chiefs on Thursday, while police spokesperson Randulf Tuano said one person had been detained and investigations were underway, with bullet casings, assault rifle magazines and other items recovered.
Dela Rosa Whereabouts Unclear
It was unclear who fired the shots, or if dela Rosa was still in the Senate on Thursday.
Marcos and government agencies have insisted no order was issued to arrest dela Rosa, with no announcements on Thursday on the identity of individuals who officials said tried to force their way into the building.
Marcos vowed late on Wednesday to get to the bottom of the incident, as political tensions mounted over dela Rosa and Monday’s impeachment of the former president’s daughter Vice President Sara Duterte.
‘Extraordinary Rendition’
Sara Duterte, currently in The Hague visiting her father, was once Marcos’ running mate but is now fighting for her political survival amid an impeachment trial that could block a 2028 presidential bid.
She accused the administration of using state power to target political opponents and warned that Senator Bato dela Rosa could face “extraordinary rendition,” comparing it to her father’s alleged abduction and transfer to the ICC last year.
Dela Rosa, Duterte’s former police chief and a key figure in the anti-drug campaign, is facing an ICC arrest warrant and has petitioned the Philippine Supreme Court to block any transfer, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction after the country’s withdrawal in 2018.
(With inputs from Reuters)
