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A Philippine legislator wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for an alleged transgression against humanity has fled from the Senate, wherever helium sought refuge to evade arrest, officials said Thursday (May 14, 2026).
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa‘s exit from the heavy guarded Senate came aft volleys of gunshots were fired Wednesday (May 13, 2026) nighttime by the building’s information unit during an statement with a authorities agent, sparking chaos that seemingly helped the legislator to gaffe out.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a late-night TV connection to inquire the nationalist to stay calm. A constabulary probe was underway, including into suspicions that the incidental was instigated to supply Sen. dela Rosa a screen to escape.
“There is nary obstruction of justice,” Senate President Alan Cayetano said of Sen. dela Rosa’s flight portion successful the Senate’s protective custody.
He told a quality briefing that helium did not spot immoderate ICC warrant of apprehension against Sen. dela Rosa and the legislator was escaped to permission the premises.
Critics, however, said Mr. Cayetano and the Senate’s information main should beryllium held liable for Sen. dela Rosa’s escape.
Sen. dela Rosa, 64, served arsenic the erstwhile nationalist constabulary main of Mr. Rodrigo Duterte, who was president from 2016 to 2022. Mr. Duterte was arrested successful March past twelvemonth connected a ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity successful transportation with deadly anti-drugs crackdowns helium launched and for which helium is present facing a proceedings successful The Hague.
A warrant unsealed Monday (May 11, 2026) by the ICC charges Sen. dela Rosa with the transgression against humanity of murder of “no little than 32 persons” betwixt July 2016 and the extremity of April 2018, erstwhile helium led the nationalist constabulary unit nether Mr. Duterte and enforced his bloody crackdowns.
Sen. dela Rosa and Mr. Duterte person separately denied authorizing extrajudicial killings though the erstwhile president has openly threatened cause suspects with decease portion helium was successful office.
Sen. dela Rosa’s ineligible predicament came arsenic governmental disputes escalated betwixt the Mr. Duterte household and Marcos. Vice President Sara Duterte, the erstwhile president’s daughter, has blamed Mr. Marcos for what she said was the “kidnapping” of her begetter and handover to a overseas court.
The disputes bespeak the heavy divisions that person agelong plagued the rambunctious Asian democracy.
On Monday, (May 11, 2026) Mrs. Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives, which is dominated by Mr. Marcos’ allies, implicit alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of authorities funds and a nationalist menace to person Philippines (as of May 2026) is Mr. Marcos , his woman and the House talker assassinated if she herself was killed successful their intensifying conflict.
She has denied immoderate wrongdoing but has refused to reply circumstantial allegations successful detail.
The Senate volition convene into an impeachment tribunal connected Monday (May 11, 2026) astatine the earliest to hole for the proceedings of the vice president, Mr. Cayetano said.
Mr. Cayetano, a cardinal state of Mr. Duterte, wrested the presidency of the Senate Monday (May 11, 2026) aft helium got the enactment of 13 of 24 senators. He gained the bulk aft Sen. dela Rosa, who has been absent for months owed to fears of his imaginable arrest, abruptly showed up successful the Senate Monday (May 11, 2026) , arriving successful Mr. Cayetano’s car.
National Bureau of Investigation agents tried to service the ICC apprehension warrant, but Sen. dela Rosa darted toward a constrictive stairway into the Senate plenary hallway and sought the assistance of allied senators, who took him into protective custody.
