Joselito Malig

Armed men were seen at the premises of the Philippine Senate after consecutive gunshots were heard on the evening of May 13, 2026. The source of the gunfire remains unknown and is currently under investigation. Earlier on Wednesday, the National Bureau of Investigation confirmed it may serve an arrest warrant against Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa at any time today, in connection with a crimes against humanity case at the International Criminal Court.
Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

SEN BATO DELA ROSA- ARREST- GUNSHOTS

Carmelle Lacuata

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate maintained that the unauthorized presence of armed agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the premises of the Senate building prompted the exchange of gunfire between the two parties.</p><p>According to Acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca, they were monitoring reports of the presence of armed individuals in the premises of the Senate building since Wednesday morning, until it was shown in their CCTV that these individuals already reached the emergency exits of the Senate building, prompting them to take action.</p><p>“Kasi simula pa ng umaga, persistent na po ‘yung report namin ng presence ng armed individuals dito po sa paligid ng premises ng Senado, pero towards the evening, nakita na po namin sa CCTV na meron na pong mga tao talaga na armado na nandiyan po sa mga emergency exit ng Senado,” he said.</p><p>(Since morning, we have been receiving reports of the presence of armed individuals around the premises of the Senate, but towards the evening, we saw in our CCTV that they are already at the emergency exits of the Senate building.)</p><p>“True enough, may nakita po kami na mga armadong tao, kaya po nagbigay po kami ng challenge, na tinanong namin kung sino sila, sumagot naman sila na they are NBI agents,” Aplasca added.</p><p>(True enough, we saw them, that’s why we asked them to identify themselves, and they said they are NBI agents.)</p><p>Aplasca admitted the OSAA fired the first shot, a warning shot, but instead of backing down, the supposed NBI agents fired back at them, prompting the exchange of gunfire.</p><p>“Pero meron ho silang mga dalang baril kaya sinabihan ho namin sila na ibaba ‘yung kanilang mga baril, pero sa halip na ibaba po ay nagtaas po sila ng baril, kaya nagpaputok na po kami ng warning shot,” he said.</p><p>(But they have guns, and we asked them to drop their guns, but they raised their guns instead so we fired the warning shot.)</p><p>“Pagkatapos po noon, nagulat po kami kasi sumagot po sila ng putok at from then, tuloy tuloy na po ang exchange of gunfire,” Aplasca added.</p><p>(After that, we were surprised that they fire back, and from then, we exchanged gunfire continuously.)</p><p>Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano earlier said the OSAA fired 27 shots, while five shots came from the “other side”.</p><p>When asked to explain if there was a need to fire that many bullets, Aplasca said it is normal in law enforcement to try and subdue the enemy by firing more bullets.</p><p>“Ito po kasi eh ano, procedure din namin sa law enforcement, na ‘pag kami ay binaril, magpapaputok kami ng more superior force para po hindi makapag-atake sa amin,” he said.</p><p>(This is our procedure in law enforcement, if we are shot at, we have to fire back with superior force so they cannot attack us.)</p><p>Cayetano earlier insisted that the Senate was “under attack” on Wednesday, as he dismissed speculations that the gunfire was orchestrated.</p><div><a class="fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/cayetano-insists-senate-was-under-attack-1622">Cayetano insists Senate was &#x27;under attack&#x27; on Wednesday</a></div><p>Aplasca also said it is impossible for the incident to be staged, because they cannot stage the presence of NBI agents in the Senate.</p><p>“Mahirap po yatang paniwalaan na staged itong situation, itong kaguluhan na nangyari sa Senado dahil hindi ko naman po pwede i-stage ‘yung pagpunta ng mga NBI agent dito sa Senado,” he said.</p><p>(It is difficult to believe that the situation was staged, that commotion in the Senate because we cannot stage the present of NBI agents in the Senate.)</p><p>“Unang-una, kung hindi po pumunta ‘yung mga NBI agents dito, wala pong mangyayaring kaguluhan o putukan,” Aplasca added.</p><p>(First of all, if there were no NBI agents in the Senate, there wouldn’t be a commotion or shooting incident.)</p><div><a class="fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/senate-chaos-staged-that-s-the-sentiment-of-our-nbi-agents-matibag-says-1447">Senate chaos &#x27;staged&#x27;?: &#x27;That&#x27;s the sentiment of our NBI agents,&#x27; Matibag says</a></div><div><a class="fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/bato-has-left-senate-premises-1107">Cayetano: Bato no longer at Senate</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>ARMED INDIVIDUALS SUBJECT OF ‘ARREST’</strong></div><p>Aplasca clarified that when the media was told that they were arresting “someone”, they were referring to the armed individuals outside the emergency exits, which they saw on their CCTVs.</p><p>“Ito po kasi ang aarestuhin po namin na sinasabi ko ay ‘yung mga armadong tao na nakita namin sa CCTV,” he said.</p><p>(The ones I mentioned that we were arresting are the armed individuals we saw in the CCTV.)</p><p>Prior to the shooting incident, OSAA said they were on their way to arrest someone, which led the media present in the Senate building to believe that they were referring to Dela Rosa, who, at that time, was still within the premises of the Senate.</p><p>After the shooting incident, OSAA clarified that Dela Rosa would not be arrested that night.</p><p>Dela Rosa eventually slipped out of the Senate building early Thursday, with Cayetano saying the former is technically free to go anytime because he does not have a warrant of arrest.</p><p>Dela Rosa is wanted by the International Criminal Court. </p><div><a class="fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/13/bato-dela-rosa-now-officially-included-in-icc-s-wanted-persons-list-1721">Bato dela Rosa now officially included in ICC&#x27;s wanted persons list</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>NO COORDINATION</strong></div><p>When asked whether Wednesday’s events can be considered as an NBI operation, Aplasca said they believe the NBI agents were trying to enter the Senate to arrest Dela Rosa without their knowledge.</p><p>“Nagtataka kami bakit may presence ng NBI na hindi namin alam dahil normally po, ‘pag pumupunta ang NBI sa Senado, nagkakaroon naman sila ng coordination, kausap naman. I have direct line with Director Matibag, at saka ‘yung ibang tauhan nila, tauhan ko, nagtatawagan naman kami lagi, and it’s very unusual,” he said.</p><p>(We were wondering why there is NBI presence that we don’t know because they normally coordinate with us when they go to the Senate. I have a direct line with Director Matibag, and our people, we call each other often, and it’s very unusual.)</p><p>“Yung kahapon, buong umaga, hanggang gabi, hanggang nagkaroon ng kaguluhan, walang nagko-coordinate sa amin na mga miyembro ng NBI,” Aplasca added.</p><p>(What happened yesterday, from morning until night, until the commotion happened, nobody from the NBI coordinated with us.)</p><p>NBI Director Melvin Matibag maintained that there were no NBI agents within the premises of the Senate, and they only went to the Government Service Insurance System building in Pasay City — the Senate leases part of the compound — after GSIS president Wick Veloso asked the investigating agency to secure their premises.</p><p>On Wednesday, chaos ensued inside the Senate building in Pasay City as gunshots were fired after Dela Rosa announced on social media that he would soon be arrested.</p><p>Dela Rosa is among the named co-perpetrators in former President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s crimes against humanity case before the ICC.</p><p>Dela Rosa served as the chief implementor of the former administration&#x27;s bloody anti-drug campaign that saw thousands of suspected drug users and dealers killed in police operations.</p><div><a class="fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/sergeant-at-arms-senate-cannot-impose-protective-custody-on-bato-2013">Sergeant-at-arms: Senate cannot impose protective custody on Bato</a></div>

<p>The Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate on Thursday said the unauthorized presence of armed agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the premises of the Senate building prompted the exchange of gunfire between the two parties.</p>

The Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate on Thursday said the unauthorized presence of armed agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the premises of the Senate building prompted the exchange of gunfire between the two parties.

Senate OSAA says presence of NBI agents triggered gunfire

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Senate OSAA says presence of NBI agents triggered gunfire

Rose Carmelle Lacuata,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 14, 2026 09:28 PM PHT

|

Updated May 14, 2026 09:53 PM PHT

Read More:

Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms

Senate

NBI

National Bureau of Investigation

Ronald dela Rosa

ICC

International Criminal Court

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