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The President of Philippines called an exigency gathering of top officials connected Thursday (May 14, 2026) amid widening governmental tensions, a time aft gunfire rang retired astatine the Senate wherever a lawmaker wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been holed up fearing his arrest.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, the erstwhile National Police Chief and Chief Enforcer of erstwhile President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “war connected drugs”, is wanted for crimes against humanity, the aforesaid charges Mr. Duterte is accused of. Mr. Duterte is acceptable to go the archetypal erstwhile Asian Head of State to spell connected proceedings astatine the ICC.
Gunshots were heard precocious connected Wednesday (May 14, 2026) wrong the Senate gathering and radical wrong scrambled for cover, hours aft Mr. Rosa, amended known arsenic “Bato” oregon “Rock”, appealed connected societal media for supporters to mobilise, saying instrumentality enforcement agents were coming to instrumentality him from the legislature, wherever helium had taken refuge.
The incidental sparked chaos and confusion, with a dense beingness of constabulary and equipped guards astatine the Senate, protests extracurricular and much than a twelve shots fired conscionable moments aft marines were called successful to bolster security.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was gathering authorities and information chiefs connected Thursday (May 14, 2026), portion constabulary spokesperson Randulf Tuano said 1 idiosyncratic had been detained and investigations were nether way, with bullet casings, battle firearm magazines and different items recovered. “The idiosyncratic has provided names, but these inactive request confirmation,” Mr. Tuano told DZBB radio.
It was unclear who fired the shots, oregon if Mr. Rosa was inactive successful the Senate connected Thursday (May 14, 2026). Entering the heavy guarded building, his lawyer Jimmy Bondoc, said helium spoke to him during the nighttime and believed helium was inside. “As his lawyer, I asked him if you person plans to leave, helium said none,” Mr. Bondoc told reporters.
Mr. Marcos and authorities agencies person insisted nary bid was issued to apprehension Mr. Rosa, with nary announcements connected Thursday (May 14, 2026) connected the individuality of individuals who officials said tried to unit their mode into the building.
In an interrogation with DZBB aired aboriginal connected Thursday (May 14, 2026), Mr. Rosa said helium will “exhaust each disposable remedies” to artifact his transportation to the ICC and having learned astir conditions Mr. Duterte was being held under, helium was nary longer consenting to combat his lawsuit successful The Hague. It was unclear erstwhile the interrogation was conducted. Mr. Rosa has denied engagement successful amerciable killings.
“Yes, things changed. It turns retired it is not that casual to sojourn him,” helium said of Mr. Duterte. “If we were co-detainees there’s nary assurance we would beryllium placed successful the aforesaid compartment oregon adjacent successful the aforesaid facility.”
Mr. Marcos vowed precocious connected Wednesday (May 13, 2026) to get to the bottommost of the incident, arsenic governmental tensions mounted implicit Mr. Rosa and Monday’s (May 11, 2026) impeachment of the erstwhile President’s girl Vice-President Sara Duterte.
Sara Duterte, who is successful The Hague visiting her father, was the moving mate of Mr. Marcos, but their confederation broke down and she is present warring for her governmental survival, facing an impeachment proceedings successful the Senate that could derail her tally for the adjacent presidency successful 2028.
“What we are seeing present is the medication utilizing each authorities resources to demolish governmental absorption oregon individuals who bash not follow, hold with, oregon enactment (Marcos),” she said successful comments shared by her office.
She said she had not spoken with Mr. Rosa since earlier the gunfire incidental and said helium was astir to be the taxable of bonzer rendition, likening it to what she called her father’s amerciable abduction and transportation to the ICC past year. “That is however the satellite saw it then. And that is besides what they are trying to bash present to Senator Bato dela Rosa,” she said.
The Hague-based tribunal unsealed an apprehension warrant connected Monday (May 11, 2026) for Mr. Rosa, dated November, and helium has filed an exigency entreaty with the Supreme Court to artifact immoderate transportation to the ICC, arguing it nary longer has jurisdiction successful the Philippines aft the state withdrew from the tribunal successful 2018. The tribunal says it tin analyse crimes committed anterior to a country’s withdrawal.
Mr. Rosa was Mr. Duterte’s apical lieutenant, overseeing a fierce crackdown during which thousands of alleged cause dealers were slain, with rights groups accusing constabulary of systematic murders and cover-ups. Police cull that and accidental the much than 6,000 killed successful Project Double Barrel were each equipped and had resisted arrest.
Activists accidental the existent decease toll whitethorn ne'er beryllium known, with users and small-time peddlers gunned down regular successful mysterious slumland killings that constabulary blamed connected vigilantes and turf wars.
