ICC-Wanted Ronald dela Rosa Escapes Philippine Senate as 12 Shots Deepen Marcos Crisis
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 14
ICC-Wanted Ronald dela Rosa Escapes Philippine Senate as 12 Shots Deepen Marcos Crisis
11 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 14
Ronald dela Rosa was no longer inside the Philippine Senate on Thursday after taking refuge there since Monday, with Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano citing a text from his wife saying he had made an unplanned “escape.”
More than a dozen shots rang out late Wednesday in the heavily guarded complex after dela Rosa urged supporters to mobilize against an expected arrest, triggering protests, a marine deployment and a scramble for cover.
Police said one person was detained and investigators recovered bullet casings and assault-rifle magazines, while the government still could not say who fired the shots, who tried to enter the Senate or where dela Rosa had gone.
The 64-year-old former police chief is wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity tied to Duterte’s drug war; he has asked the Supreme Court to block any transfer, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction after the Philippines quit the Rome Statute in 2019.
The standoff sharpens a power struggle between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Duterte camp just days before the Senate convenes as an impeachment court for Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday.
With Duterte awaiting trial, will his top enforcer's escape jeopardize the entire international case against the drug war?
Gunfire in the Senate, a fugitive on the run. Is the Philippines headed for a constitutional crisis over the ICC warrant?
The Escape of Senator Dela Rosa: ICC Arrest Warrant, Senate Turmoil, and the Deepening Marcos-Duterte Rivalry in the Philippines
Overview
On May 14, 2026, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa escaped from the Philippine Senate during a period of chaos and turmoil inside the building, where unidentified armed individuals and Marine units were present. His escape immediately drew widespread condemnation, with the Makabayan bloc calling it a major failure of the Marcos Jr. administration and Senate leadership. The incident sparked swift legal and political repercussions, highlighting deep divisions within the government and raising serious questions about accountability, the rule of law, and the handling of high-profile cases in the Philippines.