Gunshots were fired inside the Philippine Senate building on the evening of May 13, 2026, causing chaos and forcing people to take cover, though no casualties were reported [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. More than 10 military personnel in camouflage fatigues, some armed with assault rifles, were seen around the Senate premises, but it remains unclear who fired the shots or why the troops were present; investigations are ongoing [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, 64, who has been wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on crimes against humanity charges, had taken refuge inside the Senate since May 11 following the public release of the ICC arrest warrant on that day [1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 5, 6, 7, 10]. The warrant relates to the Duterte administration's anti-drug crackdown, which police say left more than 6,000 people killed [2, 4]. Dela Rosa has denied involvement in illegal killings and appealed to the Supreme Court to block his arrest, vowing to exhaust all legal remedies to avoid transfer to The Hague [1, 5, 6, 10]. "I am appealing to you, I hope you can help me. Do not allow another Filipino to be brought to The Hague," dela Rosa said [2].
The ICC had issued the warrant for dela Rosa in November 2025, citing crimes against humanity linked to the crackdown [2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10]. His predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who launched the anti-drugs campaign, was detained in The Hague in March 2025 awaiting trial, making him the first Asian head of state prosecuted by the court [1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 10]. Dela Rosa is an ally of Vice-President Sara Duterte, daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, who was impeached by the Philippine House on May 11 on charges including corruption and threats; her trial is set for the Senate [11, 12, 10].
On May 11, the Duterte bloc ousted longtime Senate president Vicente Sotto III and replaced him with Alan Peter Cayetano amid mounting political tension [11, 12]. Dela Rosa had reportedly led National Bureau of Investigation agents on a high-speed chase inside the Senate building on May 11 before seeking sanctuary there [8, 9].
After the shooting on May 13, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr denied any government involvement, stating, "It was not the government that did this. There was no instruction to arrest Senator Bato" (dela Rosa's nickname) [8, 9]. An emergency meeting was held by top officials on May 14 amid rising tensions [5, 6]. Police detained a suspect at the Senate on May 14 in connection to the shooting and said the person had given names that still needed confirmation [5, 6, 7]. Dela Rosa left the Senate premises early on May 14 after spending days in sanctuary inside [5, 6, 10].
The government asked the Supreme Court on May 16 to reject dela Rosa's plea to block enforcement of the ICC warrant [10]. The investigation into the May 13 shooting and the presence of the military personnel continues.
