MANILA: Gunfire broke out at the Philippine Senate and people ran for cover after a top politician wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) said his arrest was imminent and security forces entered the building on Wednesday.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza told reporters after the chaos at the legislature in the capital, Manila.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a former police chief who was the main enforcer of ex-Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “war on drugs,” had earlier urged supporters to mobilise to prevent his arrest and transfer to the ICC.
The Hague-based court on Monday unsealed an arrest warrant for dela Rosa on charges of crimes against humanity, the same allegations faced by 81-year-old Duterte, who is awaiting trial at the ICC following his transfer last year.
Dela Rosa, 64, has denied involvement in illegal killings.
“I am appealing to you. I hope you can help me. Do not allow another Filipino to be brought to The Hague,” he said in a Facebook video recorded from his Senate office, where he has remained since Monday under legislative protection.
Senate Secretary Mendoza said law enforcement officers believed to be from the National Bureau of Investigation attempted to enter the Senate and fired shots as they withdrew.
However, NBI Director Melvin Matibag told GMA News that no agents had been deployed.
“I spoke with the [justice] minister and he told me to await instructions. We have no preparations whatsoever,” he said.
More than 10 military personnel in camouflage uniforms arrived at the scene, with some carrying assault rifles, according to Reuters journalists.
The military’s public affairs office chief, Xerxes Trinidad, said the Senate had requested assistance to “help secure the facility”.
Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla said it remained unclear who fired the shots, adding that security footage would need to be reviewed. He also said dela Rosa was safe and assured that no arrest would be carried out at that time.
The office of the ICC prosecutor referred queries to the court itself, while the court’s press office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Dela Rosa was a key ally of Duterte and led a harsh anti-drug campaign during which thousands of suspected drug offenders were killed, with human rights groups accusing police of systematic extrajudicial killings and cover-ups.
Police have denied these allegations, saying the more than 6,000 people killed in anti-drug operations were armed and had resisted arrest.
Rights groups, however, say the true death toll may be much higher, pointing to thousands of unexplained killings in urban slums that they attribute to vigilantes and gang conflicts.
The Senate remained heavily guarded throughout Wednesday, with police deployed in large numbers as protesters gathered outside, some calling for dela Rosa’s arrest. He is widely known in the Philippines by the nickname “Bato,” meaning “rock.”
His ally, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, said he had spoken with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who assured him that no government personnel were involved in the incident.
Dela Rosa returned to the Senate on Monday for the first time since disappearing from public view in November and has urged Marcos not to allow his transfer to the ICC.
He has also filed an emergency petition before the Supreme Court seeking to block any attempt to send him to The Hague. In a statement on Wednesday, the court said all parties must respond within 72 hours.
Dela Rosa maintains that any transfer to the ICC would be illegal, arguing that the Philippines is no longer a signatory to the Rome Statute.
The Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2018 after its prosecutor began examining Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. However, the ICC says it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was still a member.
Duterte is set to become the first Asian former head of state to stand trial at the ICC, a court he repeatedly challenged during his presidency, saying he was prepared to “rot in jail” to protect the country from drugs.
He continues to maintain his innocence, according to his legal team.