Philippine Senate in Lockdown as Police Hunt ICC-Wanted Senator Dela Rosa

The Philippine Senate went into lockdown Wednesday evening as military personnel entered the Manila building where Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, wanted by the International Criminal Court, had sought refuge.

Rounds of gunfire echoed from the area, though it remains unclear who fired the shots. No immediate reports of casualties have surfaced.

Dela Rosa said earlier that he believed his arrest was imminent and called on Filipinos to prevent it. His current whereabouts are unknown.

The ICC accuses him of killing dozens of people when he served as police chief during former president Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, which saw thousands of alleged dealers shot and killed. Duterte has been held at The Hague since March 2025.

TV footage captured police commandos in fatigues entering the Senate building, while anti-riot officers with shields and helmets surrounded the perimeter.

Protesters gathered outside the Senate demanded Dela Rosa's detention and transfer to stand trial alongside Duterte.

Duterte has rejected the ICC proceedings, noting that the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute, the court's founding treaty, in 2019 during his presidency.

ICC Pre-Trial Chamber judges rejected that argument last month. They ruled the alleged crimes occurred from 2011 to 2019, when the Philippines remained an ICC member, clearing the path for Duterte's trial.