It was supposed to be an arrest. It became a siege.
On the evening of Wednesday, May 13, 2026, more than a dozen gunshots rang out at the Philippine Senate as police and marines moved in to arrest Senator Ronald dela Rosa — a man wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. Journalists ran for cover. Soldiers in full tactical gear moved up the stairwells. And the world watched, stunned, as one of Southeast Asia's most volatile political dramas detonated inside a national legislature.
No one was hurt, officials confirmed. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appeared on television asking the public to stay calm. But calm was not the word for what unfolded.
Who Is Ronald Dela Rosa — and Why Does the ICC Want Him?
Ronald dela Rosa, who goes by the moniker "Bato" — meaning "Rock" — hails from the Davao region in southern Philippines and has long been a loyal ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who ruled with an iron fist from 2016 to 2022, a period marked by a brutal war on drugs.
Dela Rosa served as police chief when Duterte was mayor of Davao City, where police would allegedly coerce low-level dealers to surrender, then summarily execute them — a tactic known as "Oplan Tokhang." When Duterte became president, dela Rosa was elevated to national police chief, and the killings went national.
The ICC arrest warrant, originally issued in November and unsealed on Monday, 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. He has denied all involvement in illegal killings.
Police reject the allegations and say the more than 6,000 killed in what was called "Project Double Barrel" were all armed and had resisted arrest. Activists say the real death toll may never be known, with users and small-time peddlers gunned down daily in mysterious killings that police blamed on vigilantes and turf wars.
Three Days of Defiance: How It Escalated
The standoff did not begin on Wednesday. National Bureau of Investigation agents first tried to arrest dela Rosa on Monday, but he managed to dash to the Senate's plenary hall and sought the help of fellow senators. Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano threatened to cite the arresting agents for contempt — a remarkable moment in which the legislature itself became a shield against international justice.
For two nights, dela Rosa holed up in the Senate building. In a livestreamed press conference, he pleaded tearfully not to be sent to The Hague. "I will face it, as long as they follow the proper process," he said, his eyes visibly welling. "This is the lowest point of my life."
Then on Wednesday evening, he escalated. Dela Rosa urged his followers to gather in the Senate to prevent his arrest, saying: "I am appealing to you. I hope you can help me. Do not allow another Filipino to be brought to The Hague."
Hours later, the shots rang out.
Chaos in the Senate: Who Fired?
Philippine President Marcos insisted the incident was not carried out by government personnel, calling it an apparent shootout between an unidentified armed group and Senate security personnel. "Was this encounter part of destabilisation? We will need to know," he said
Al Jazeera's correspondent on the ground reported that journalists ran for cover as gunfire erupted, minutes after soldiers with rifles and protective gear ascended the stairs of the legislative building. Security forces subsequently ordered the evacuation of the entire building. As of publication, it remains unclear who fired the shots.
The ICC Question: Can It Actually Reach Him?
Dela Rosa's legal argument hinges on a technicality. He insists any transfer to the ICC would be illegal, as the Philippines is no longer a signatory to the Rome Statute. Duterte himself withdrew the country from the ICC in 2018, citing what he called baseless attacks after a preliminary examination of the drug war was launched.
The ICC, however, maintains that it retains jurisdiction over crimes committed when the Philippines was still a member — the same legal argument used successfully against Duterte himself, who was arrested in March 2025 and flown to The Hague, becoming the first former Asian leader to face such proceedings.
Dela Rosa's case now tests whether the Marcos government will hold the same line — or blink.
Why It Matters Beyond Manila
This story is not just about one senator or one country. It is a live test of whether international justice institutions can function in an era of rising strongmen, sovereign defiance, and legislative impunity.
When a democracy's own parliament becomes a fortress against accountability, when gunshots replace gavels, and when a sitting senator calls on crowds to physically block his arrest — something fundamental has broken. Southeast Asia is watching. So is the rest of the world.
The ICC came for Duterte. Now it has come for Bato. The question is whether the walls of the Philippine Senate — or the walls of sovereignty — will hold.
