Gunfire broke out in the Philippine Senate late Wednesday as authorities tried to arrest Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former national police chief accused of condoning extrajudicial killings. The incident sparked chaos but left no casualties, officials confirmed.

Attempted Arrest in Senate Sparks Chaos

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the public to remain calm in televised remarks following the gunfire. It remains unclear who fired the shots or the reason behind the incident.

The gunfire occurred as Philippine authorities tried to arrest Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who reappeared after months of absence. He was placed in “protective custody” by allied senators on Monday.

Journalists, including two from the Associated Press, were present in the building when the gunshots were heard. Armed security personnel, including military members, moved through the area with guns drawn and later instructed employees to leave as tensions eased.

Senate President Alan Cayetano briefly addressed journalists but could not provide details. “The emotions are high here,” he said. “This is the Senate of the Philippines, and we are allegedly under attack.”

ICC Warrant and Political Tensions

Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla Jr. arrived with top police officials and stated he was deployed by the president to secure the senators. He said he did not come to arrest dela Rosa, who remained in the building.

An investigation was launched to determine who was behind the gunfire and their intentions, according to Remulla. Security footage will be reviewed as part of the inquiry.

On Monday, the ICC unsealed an arrest warrant originally issued in November. The warrant charges dela Rosa with the crime against humanity of murder of “no less than 32 persons” between July 2016 and the end of April 2018, when he led the national police force under Duterte.

Dela Rosa, 64, has vowed to fight the ICC arrest order. He called on his followers Wednesday night to gather in the Senate to prevent what he said was his impending arrest.

National Bureau of Investigation agents tried to arrest dela Rosa on Monday, but he managed to reach the Senate’s plenary hall and sought the help of fellow senators. Cayetano said then that he would cite the government agents involved for contempt.

Political Divisions and Ongoing Legal Battles

Duterte was arrested in March last year and flown to the ICC’s headquarters in the Hague. He is still in detention in the Netherlands and faces a trial in the killings from his security operation, in which dela Rosa has also been accused.

“We should not allow another Filipino to be brought to the Hague, the second one after President Duterte,” dela Rosa said, addressing his followers in a Facebook message and blaming politics for his predicament. “This is unacceptable.”

He stated he was ready to face any allegations before Philippine courts but denied condoning extrajudicial killings when he led the police force. Duterte has also made the same denials, although he openly threatened suspected drug dealers with death while in office.

Hundreds of police officers have been deployed outside the Senate since Monday to maintain order, sparking complaints from dela Rosa and allied senators. “If I have something to answer for, I will face those in our local courts and not before foreigners,” dela Rosa told reporters in the Senate.

Five senators called on dela Rosa to surrender to authorities in a proposed resolution, but his allies opposed the move in a heated exchange Wednesday in the Senate, where 13 of 24 senators friendly to dela Rosa wrested control of its leadership on Monday.