(BBC News) The Philippine Senate was locked down with military personnel seen entering the building where a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) had sought refuge.
Rounds of gunfire were heard but officials have not revealed who fired the shots. They said there were no casualties.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa said earlier he believed his arrest was imminent and urged Filipinos to prevent it. He is safe and with security personnel, officials said.
He is accused by the ICC of killing dozens of people when he was police chief during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, in which thousands of alleged dealers were shot and killed. Duterte has been held at The Hague since March 2025.
TV footage showed police commandos in fatigues entering the Senate building in Manila early on Wednesday evening, with anti-riot policemen with shields and helmets surrounding the perimeter.
Protesters outside the Senate demanded Dela Rosa’s detention, calling for him to be sent to stand trial with Duterte.
His lawyers have appealed to the Supreme Court to block his extradition.
