The Tamesis
May 14, 2026
Manila – It was a night of unprecedented terror as Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who had been holed up in the Senate building Wednesday night to avoid arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC), was hit by gunfire for the third day in a row.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and Interior Secretary Jovic Remulla could not immediately say who fired the first shot, which did not cause any gunshot wounds.
Heavily armed members of the Office of the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate (Osaa), several wearing bulletproof vests, were deployed at the scene when the first two gunshots, followed by multiple gunshots, some of which sounded like they were coming from automatic weapons, rang out in the second-floor hallway around 7:46 p.m.
The lights in the hallway were then turned off and with each gunshot, people could be heard screaming in the background. The shooting continued and dozens of reporters were told to leave the area. The sporadic gunfire lasted less than three minutes.
A dzMM reporter said some reporters and photographers were injured in the panic and chaos that followed when their camera tripods collapsed while escaping.
The area was later cordoned off. Remulla said they will inspect the six-story Senate building and the adjacent building occupied by the Government Services Insurance System (GSIS) floor by floor.
It was unclear who started shooting or whether an exchange of gunfire actually took place between law enforcement, including Senate Marine security forces, and the unidentified gunman.
First media reports suggested the shooting may have erupted as authorities renewed their attempts to issue an ICC arrest warrant for de la Rosa, but officials later denied they had attempted to arrest the senator on Wednesday.
National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Madibage denies his agents are even on the Senate floor. “We have no order to arrest Barto,” he said.
Remulla, who oversees the Philippine National Police, arrived around 8:30 p.m. “I’m here to ensure the integrity of the Senate and protect all senators,” he told reporters.
He said President Marcos gave him strict instructions: “Protect the senators, no matter who they are. Next, we are not here to arrest Dela Rosa. In fact, we are here to protect him.”
“We have (Philippine National Police) personnel there,” Philippine National Police Chief Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a television interview. [but] According to them, “it was not them” who fired the first shot.
Several men in uniforms, helmets and carrying long guns were earlier seen talking to some members of the Senate Security Office near the elevators.
They declined to make any statement to the media as they headed to the area where gunshots were later heard.
Marcos: “Not government-led”
Some panicked reporters rushed towards the stairs leading to the first floor, with someone repeatedly shouting at them to get down immediately.
Journalists were eventually cleared from the building and moved to the GSIS gate of the Senate complex, a few meters away from the entrance, for safety reasons.
After the tense incident, the President said the government was not involved and assured the public that the Senate and the Philippine National Police would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
“The Senate and the PNP will investigate this. All I can say is, let our people not worry, this is not the doing of the government,” the president said in Filipino in a video statement.
“No military or N.B.I. [agent] Entering or leaving the Senate. We don’t know who tried to enter and hence the shooting,” he added.
Marcos also said he did not order Dela Rosa’s arrest.
He then asked the public to remain calm while the government investigates the incident.
“under attack”
Shortly after the incident, Cayetano said on Facebook Live that the upper chamber was “allegedly under attack.”
“Thirty minutes ago, when we were discussing leaving, four senators received a tip because something was about to happen,” said Cayetano, who was holed up in a room with his sister Pia and other senators.
“This is the Philippine Senate. We are allegedly under attack. The sergeant-at-arms has confirmed that a shooting occurred here,” he said.
Cayetano said Marcos had called to assure him that “this was not [the] The government” is behind the chaos.
During the call, he said, the president asked Remulla if he had arrived on the Senate floor.
“Minister of the Interior Remulla [Department of the Interior and Local Government] here; generally [Anthony] Aberlin, NCRPO [National Capital Region Police Office] It’s right here,” Cayetano said.
“[Defense] secretary [Gilbert] Teodoro called us, President Marcos called us, assuring us that it was not the government and asking about the situation—whether Secretary Jonovich was already here—and making sure that the investigation remained independent. “
Remulla arrived on the Senate floor around 8:30 p.m. to help protect the safety of senators and others in the building.
Cayetano accused Madibag of failing to ensure their safety.
According to him, Senator Loren Legarda was on the phone with Madibag when the incident occurred. During the call, his sister allegedly asked Matibag what steps the NBI would take to ensure their safety, to which Matibag simply replied that she was not yelling at him.
“Your response should not be, ‘Ma’am/Sir, I’m going to be there and make sure we can help,'” Cayetano said.
Not deployed
Mattibarger, meanwhile, said he was not deploying any agents to the Senate.
“The problem is that we have no one deployed there and no order to arrest Senator Barto,” he said in a television interview.
Matibag said NBI officials are conducting a three-day workshop and planning at the Sequoia Hotel in Manila Bay.
According to him, the sergeant major’s office reached out to him for help after a shooting inside the Senate building.
Natates said they are still investigating the incident. ——Reporting by LUISA CABATO, ZACARIAN SARAO, JASON SIGALES and MARY JOY SALCEDO
