MANILA : The Senate was placed under lockdown as heavily armed soldiers and marines entered the premises where dela Rosa had reportedly taken refuge while awaiting possible arrest.

According to reports, more than a dozen gunshots were heard moments after security forces in protective gear advanced inside the building. Journalists covering the developments scrambled for safety as chaos unfolded, though it remains unclear who fired the shots.

Dela Rosa, a former national police chief and key figure behind former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial “war on drugs”, had earlier appealed to supporters to gather at the Senate to prevent authorities from taking him into custody.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca confirmed that law enforcement personnel had gathered outside the Senate complex following the senator’s public appeal.

The ICC had unsealed an arrest warrant against dela Rosa earlier this week over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the anti-drug crackdown that left thousands dead during Duterte’s administration. Duterte himself is also facing similar accusations and is awaiting trial in The Hague after his arrest last year.

Dela Rosa, popularly known by his nickname “Bato”, meaning “rock”, has denied involvement in illegal killings and insisted he is willing to face legal proceedings within the Philippines instead of being handed over to the ICC.

The senator has reportedly remained under the Senate’s protective custody since Monday, when he resurfaced publicly for the first time in months amid fears of arrest.

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