Officials in the Philippines worked Thursday to verify whether a senator facing International Criminal Court charges had escaped following a violent incident at the nation’s Senate building the previous evening.
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who previously served as the country’s top police official and helped lead former President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly anti-drug campaign, had been staying at the Senate to avoid arrest on charges of crimes against humanity – the same accusations facing Duterte.
“Several sources confirmed that the Senator, Senator Bato, is no longer in the Senate premises. But we are still getting confirmation,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said during a news briefing.
Late Wednesday evening, gunfire erupted inside the Senate building, sending people diving for safety. This occurred hours after the 64-year-old dela Rosa had posted on social media asking his supporters to rally, claiming law enforcement was preparing to take him into custody.
The violent episode created pandemonium, with heavy police and armed security presence surrounding the Senate, demonstrations forming outside, and more than twelve shots fired shortly after marines arrived to strengthen security measures.
On Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr held discussions with security leaders, and police reported one individual had been taken into custody. Investigators are working to identify people who attempted to enter the Senate, recovering bullet shells and magazines from assault weapons.
“The person has provided names, but these still need confirmation,” police spokesperson Randulf Tuano said in a radio interview.
Questions remained about who discharged the weapons and whether dela Rosa remained in the Senate Thursday, with widespread speculation suggesting he may have left during the night.
The international court in The Hague made public an arrest warrant Monday that had been issued in November, while dela Rosa has submitted an urgent appeal to the Supreme Court, contending the ICC lacks authority in the Philippines following the country’s 2019 departure from the international body.
Thursday morning, as he entered the heavily secured Senate, dela Rosa’s attorney Jimmy Bondoc said he had spoken with his client overnight and believed he remained inside.
“I asked him if you have plans to leave, he said none,” Bondoc told media representatives.
The outspoken dela Rosa gained widespread recognition as Duterte’s chief aide, directing an aggressive enforcement effort that resulted in thousands of suspected drug dealers being killed, with human rights organizations accusing police of organized killings and concealment efforts.
Law enforcement officials dispute these claims, stating that the more than 6,000 deaths in Project Double Barrel involved armed individuals who fought against arrest.
Human rights advocates say the actual number of deaths may remain unknown, with drug users and sellers shot daily in unexplained neighborhood killings that police attributed to vigilante groups and territorial disputes.
Marcos has attempted to separate his administration from the Senate crisis and stated no directive was issued to capture dela Rosa, who had asked the president Tuesday not to arrest him.
National Bureau of Investigation chief Melvin Matibag acknowledged that intelligence personnel from his agency were present at a structure near the Senate Wednesday, but said they carried no weapons.
He added that investigators are also examining whether the incident might have been orchestrated.
In a radio interview broadcast early Thursday, dela Rosa stated he would “exhaust all available remedies” to prevent his transfer to the ICC, and after learning about Duterte’s detention circumstances, he no longer wanted to defend his case in The Hague.
The timing of that interview remained unclear. Dela Rosa has rejected claims of participation in unlawful killings.
The Senate crisis represents a significant test of Marcos’ leadership, as he had depended on the powerful Duterte family’s backing to secure victory in the 2022 election before a bitter split that resulted in him turning over his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte to the ICC.
The 81-year-old Duterte is expected to become the first former Asian leader to face trial at the ICC. He denies encouraging police to commit murder.
Political tensions have escalated recently regarding dela Rosa and Monday’s impeachment of the former president’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, who was previously Marcos’ ally and campaign partner.
Sara Duterte, currently in The Hague visiting her father, is battling for her political future, confronting an impeachment trial in the Senate that could damage her potential presidential campaign in 2028.
“What we are seeing now is the administration using all government resources to demolish political opposition,” she said in statements released by her office.
She claimed dela Rosa would face extraordinary rendition, comparing it to what she described as her father’s unlawful kidnapping.
“That is how the world saw it then. And that is also what they are trying to do now,” she said.
