The fight over Philippine Sen. Ronald dela Rosa’s ICC warrant is no longer confined to court filings, Senate privilege, or political messaging after reports of gunfire turned the Philippine Senate lockdown into an active security crisis.
Reuters reported that a witness heard over a dozen gunshots at the Senate on Wednesday, where dela Rosa was under protective custody. As of press time, it wasn’t yet established who fired the shots, whether anyone was hit, or whether the shots were directly connected to an attempt to arrest the senator.
The unresolved facts matter because the building was already operating under extraordinary tension. Dela Rosa, a senator and former Philippine National Police chief, has been at the center of a standoff since the International Criminal Court unsealed a warrant for his arrest on May 11. The court said the warrant was issued in the situation in the Philippines, while AP reported that the allegations concern at least 32 murders linked to the former President Rodrigo Duterte-era anti-drug campaign.
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Reuters report said that more than 10 military personnel in camouflage were seen at the Senate premises, with some carrying rifles. Local reporting noted that military, police, and National Bureau of Investigation personnel had arrived at the Senate before the shots were heard.
Dela Rosa’s legal risk stems from his role in the Duterte administration’s drug war, where he served as national police chief. Duterte is currently detained in The Hague after his arrest last year. In the said case, Dela Rosa is named as a co-perpetrator in the alleged crimes against humanity.
The Philippine government’s position is also complicated by jurisdiction. The Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019, but the court has continued pursuing alleged crimes committed while the country was still covered by the Rome Statute.
Dela Rosa has been absent for six months in his Senate office after rumors of an ICC warrant will be issued to arrest him. Earlier this week, he returned to work as one of the deciding votes in the recent Senate leadership coup.
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The senator, who won his seat after his stint as Duterte’s police chief, is a staunch supporter of the former president and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte. The younger Duterte has just been impeached by the House of Representatives and the case is expected to be tried by the upper chamber as an impeachment court. His return after six months in hiding is believed to be instrumental in changing the Senate alliance composition ahead of the pending impeachment trial.
As he entered the building, law enforcement personnel were waiting for him, which led to a chase between them and the senator as the latter evaded the arrest.
Since he returned to work, he hasn’t left the Senate building, believing in the traditional inter-parliamentary courtesy that the three branches of government accord each other.
Dela Rosa has maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines and if he is to face the alleged crimes, it must under a local court.
A number of senators are still inside the building after the vicinity went on a lockdown.
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