Gunfire erupts at Philippine Senate amid standoff over ICC suspect Ronald dela Rosa

MANILA: Gunfire broke out at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday after security personnel entered the building during a standoff involving Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who said his arrest was imminent following an International Criminal Court warrant against him.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza told reporters after the incident at the legislature in Manila.

Dela Rosa, a former national police chief and a key enforcer of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, had earlier called on supporters to mobilise to stop his arrest and transfer to the ICC. The Hague-based court on Monday made public an arrest warrant for him on charges of crimes against humanity, the same charges faced by Duterte, 81, who is awaiting trial at the ICC after being transferred there last year.

The 64-year-old senator has denied involvement in unlawful killings. In a video posted on Facebook from his Senate office, where he has been under legislative protection since Monday, he said:

I am appealing to you, I hope you can help me. Do not allow another Filipino to be brought to The Hague

Mendoza said law enforcement personnel believed to be from the National Bureau of Investigation tried to enter the Senate and fired shots while pulling back. However, NBI Director Melvin Matibag told GMA News that no agents had been sent.

I spoke with the (justice) minister and he told me to await instructions. We have no preparations whatsoever

Reuters journalists saw more than 10 military personnel in camouflage arrive at the Senate complex, with some carrying assault rifles. Xerxes Trinidad, head of the military’s public affairs office, told Reuters that the Senate had asked the armed forces to assist in securing the premises.

Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla said it remained unclear who had fired the shots and that security camera footage would need to be reviewed. He also said dela Rosa was safe and assured him that no arrest would take place.

Duterte ally faces ICC case

Dela Rosa was one of Duterte’s closest allies during the anti-drug crackdown in which thousands of alleged drug suspects were killed. Human rights groups have accused police of systematic killings and cover-ups. Police have rejected those allegations, saying the more than 6,000 people killed in anti-drug operations were armed and resisted arrest.

Activists say the true number of deaths may never be established, pointing to frequent killings of drug users and low-level dealers in poor neighbourhoods that they say were blamed on vigilantes and gang rivalries.

The Senate remained under heavy security throughout Wednesday, with police lines deployed as protesters gathered outside. Some demonstrators called for dela Rosa’s arrest. He is widely known in the Philippines by the nickname Bato, meaning rock.

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, an ally of dela Rosa, said he had spoken with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who assured him that no government personnel were involved in Wednesday’s incident.

Dela Rosa returned to the Senate on Monday for the first time since going out of public view in November. He has appealed to Marcos not to surrender him to the ICC and has also filed an emergency petition in the Supreme Court seeking to block any move to send him to The Hague. In a statement on Wednesday, the court gave all parties 72 hours to respond.

Dela Rosa argues that any transfer to the ICC would be unlawful because the Philippines is no longer a party to the Rome Statute. Duterte withdrew the country from the court in 2018 after the ICC prosecutor announced a preliminary examination into his anti-drug campaign. The ICC says it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while a country was still a member.

Duterte is set to become the first former Asian head of state to stand trial at the ICC. During public speeches, he repeatedly challenged the court to pursue him, saying he was ready to rot in jail to protect his people from the drugs scourge. According to his legal team, he maintains his innocence.