A tense standoff at the Philippine Senate compound in Pasay City turned even more alarming on the night of Wednesday, May 13, 2026, when gunshots rang out inside the building where Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa had been holed up, refusing to submit to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant that charges him with crimes against humanity. The incident, which occurred at approximately 7:46 p.m., sent shockwaves across the country amid an already volatile political climate.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who arrived at the scene around 8:30 p.m. together with senior Philippine National Police (PNP) officials, confirmed that no lives were lost and no one — neither senators nor Senate staff — was struck by any bullet. "There are no casualties. None. No one was hit, no one was wounded, no one was killed," Remulla stated in remarks delivered on-site at the Senate building.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Based on the official sequence of events laid out by Secretary Remulla, armed men attempted to gain access to the second floor of the Senate building at precisely 7:46 p.m. Personnel from the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) intercepted the intruders and discharged a warning shot. The armed men subsequently retreated, firing shots into the air as they withdrew from the premises.
Journalists who were present at the Senate building at the time reported hearing more than a dozen shots during the incident. As of late Wednesday evening, the number of armed individuals involved, their identities, and their organizational affiliations had not yet been determined. Remulla urged restraint in drawing conclusions, saying that investigators would first need to review available closed-circuit television footage before making any definitive assessment.
NBI Denies Involvement; Marcos Rejects Government Role
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag was categorical in distancing his agency from the shooting. Matibag said that none of his agents fired weapons inside the Senate compound and that the NBI had issued no order to arrest Dela Rosa on that evening. Speaking in Filipino, Matibag said: "Walang baril ang mga tao ko. Hindi kami pumunta doon." (Translation: "My people had no guns. We did not go there.")
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also addressed the public following the incident, firmly rejecting any suggestion of government involvement. According to the President, he had earlier directed the NBI not to proceed with Dela Rosa's arrest in light of a related Supreme Court resolution. Marcos urged the public to stay calm — "Kalma lang po" — and raised the possibility that the shooting may have been carried out by parties seeking to destabilize the situation, though he did not identify any specific group or individual behind the alleged plot.
A Diversion Theory Emerges
Senate Secretary Mark Mendoza suggested to reporters that the gunfire may have been a deliberate diversion rather than a genuine arrest attempt or attack, a theory that resonated with many observers given the extreme political tensions surrounding the Dela Rosa standoff inside the Senate compound.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, who was inside the building when the shots rang out and addressed the public through a Facebook livestream, said the Senate was "allegedly under attack." Cayetano admitted he was momentarily uncertain about what was happening and whether he could guarantee the safety of those sheltering inside. He later pledged that the chamber would carry out an "objective, smart" inquiry into the shooting.
Supreme Court Denied TRO Earlier That Day
The dramatic events of the evening unfolded against a backdrop of mounting legal pressure. Earlier on May 13, the Supreme Court declined to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would have suspended the execution of the ICC warrant against Dela Rosa. Instead, the Court directed executive branch officials and Dela Rosa himself to submit comments and replies within a strict, non-extendible 72-hour window. Legal analysts note that the earliest a TRO could realistically be granted is not before Friday, May 22, 2026.
With no TRO in effect, authorities were technically free to execute the ICC warrant at any time. Legal experts have also pointed out that the charge of crimes against humanity — which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment — is not covered by the session immunity that protects legislators from arrest for ordinary offenses.
Throughout the night, riot police and military personnel maintained a perimeter around the Senate compound. Members of the press were barred from accessing the second floor, and some reporters were also prevented from reaching the fifth floor, where Dela Rosa's office is located. Power to the building's lights was cut shortly before the shooting erupted. Outside the compound, supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte gathered and were reported to be stopping and checking vehicles leaving the premises, apparently concerned that Dela Rosa might be quietly spirited away.
ICC Warrant Covers 32 Killings During His PNP Tenure
The ICC warrant at the heart of the standoff was unsealed on Monday, May 11, 2026. The warrant itself is dated November 2025 and accuses Dela Rosa of the crime against humanity of murder in connection with the deaths of "no less than 32 persons" between July 2016 and the end of April 2018 — the period during which he served as Chief of the Philippine National Police under the Duterte administration.
Dela Rosa's predicament mirrors that of his former chief, Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested in March 2025 and is currently being held in ICC detention in The Hague, Netherlands, awaiting trial on charges stemming from the same anti-drug campaign era. Before the shooting occurred, Dela Rosa posted a video appeal on Facebook asking his supporters not to allow him to be sent to The Hague, while also saying he would ultimately abide by whatever the Supreme Court decides.
Senate Leadership Upheaval Preceded the Standoff
Dela Rosa's return to the Senate on May 11, 2026 — after a near-six-month public absence, with his last confirmed public appearance on November 10, 2025, four days after the ICC warrant was reportedly sealed — was accompanied by a significant shake-up in Senate leadership. Dela Rosa cast the pivotal 13th vote that removed Senate President Vicente Sotto III from the position, paving the way for Alan Peter Cayetano's installation as the new Senate President. Since casting that vote, Dela Rosa has been kept under what Senate leadership has described as "protective custody" within the compound.
A first attempt to serve the ICC warrant on Dela Rosa took place that same Monday, when NBI agents moved to execute it inside the Senate. Dela Rosa evaded them by running through the halls to the plenary session hall, where allied senators provided cover. Senate President Cayetano threatened to hold the NBI agents in contempt for their actions.
Both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and independent legal experts have questioned whether the Senate has any lawful basis to extend "protective custody" to a senator facing an international criminal warrant, with the DOJ asserting that the chamber holds no such authority. Senators who participated in shielding Dela Rosa from the arresting agents could potentially face obstruction-of-justice exposure, though as of publication no formal charges have been filed against any of them.
VP Sara Duterte Impeachment Articles Arrive Same Day
As if Wednesday's political calendar were not already full enough, Philstar reported that the House of Representatives transmitted articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the Senate on the very same day as the shooting — May 13, 2026. The simultaneous arrival of the impeachment transmission and the Senate shooting underscored the extraordinary degree of constitutional and political turmoil gripping Manila.
Questions Remain Unanswered as Dela Rosa Digs In
As of the close of May 13, 2026, investigators had yet to determine the identity, number, or organizational affiliation of the armed men who entered the Senate building that evening. Whether the incident represented a botched arrest operation, a deliberate effort to destabilize the standoff, or something else entirely remained an open question. Senate, NBI, and government investigations were all expected to proceed in the days ahead.
Senator Dela Rosa, meanwhile, remained inside the Senate compound, with no indication that he intended to surrender voluntarily before the Supreme Court issues a ruling on the TRO request. The standoff, now stretching past its third day, showed no signs of resolution as the country watched closely.
Originally reported by: wire reports