Shots fired in the Senate; Cayetano vows not to let Bato arrest happen

In a latest update, NBI said no agents were deployed to arrest Sen. Bato dela Rosa, and clarified that the gunshots were not fired by its personnel. Read that story here.

MANILA, Philippines (3rd update: 11:16 p.m.) — Gunshots were fired inside the Senate on Wednesday evening, May 13, hours after the Supreme Court did not immediately grant Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's plea to stop his arrest or transfer to the International Criminal Court.

The high court instead ordered government officials to comment within 72 hours on Dela Rosa's petition, leaving no temporary restraining order that would bar authorities from acting on the ICC warrant while the case is pending.

The gunfire deepened a standoff inside the Senate, where Dela Rosa, who is wanted by the ICC over alleged crimes against humanity tied to the Duterte administration's drug war, has been staying under Senate protection.

'Warning shots'?

Multiple gunshots were heard inside the building around Wednesday night, sending journalists fleeing for cover. Reporters inside the Senate said the shots came minutes after armed personnel in protective gear went up the stairs of the legislative building.

Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza told journalists who remained inside that the shots were "warning shots" fired to "secure the area." He said he could not yet say whether anyone had been hurt because an assessment could not immediately be made.

"Madilim doon," Mendoza said. (It was dark there.)

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, speaking during a Facebook livestream from inside a room in the building, said senators and staff were locked inside and did not know what was happening.

"We don't know what's happening, everyone is locked in their rooms now, we cannot go out. We cannot secure our other staff," Cayetano said. "This is the Senate of the Philippines... Why are we under attack here?"

RELATED: Dela Rosa, allies claim being 'under attack' after gunshots in Senate

Cayetano said he and other senators in the room had agreed not to leave the premises or Dela Rosa.

"I just want everyone to know, itong grupo na nandito we are not going to leave each other, we are not going to leave Senator Bato. May agreement na. We are still looking at the Supreme Court decision. His legal remedies have not yet been exhausted," Cayetano said.

There were no reports of casualties as of around 8:30 p.m., Mendoza told reporters.

Government denies hand in gunfire

National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, speaking to ABS-CBN News in a televised call, said the NBI was not at the Senate after being ordered to "stand down."

"May agreement kami ni Senator Alan [Cayetano] na hindi kami papasok," Matibag said. "At the same time, hangga't walang order from the coordination with all agencies involved, hindi kami eepek ng arrest. Kaya wala kami ngayon doon."

(We had an agreement with Senator Alan [Cayetano] that we would not enter. Until there's no order from the coordination with all the agencies involved, we would not effect an arrest. That it why we were not there.)

Matibag denied that NBI agents fired the shots or that he had ordered Dela Rosa's arrest.

"Walang baril ang mga tao ko. Hindi kami pumunta doon," he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a video statement released past 10 p.m., also said government forces were not behind the gunfire. He said he had called Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Matibag, who both told him their forces did not fire the shots.

"Hindi po gobyerno ang gumawa nito. Walang pumasok na tigalabas na sundalo, na militar, na NBI sa Senado," Marcos said ("Government forces did not do this. No soldiers, military personnel or NBI agents entered the Senate.")

Marcos said he had ordered NBI agents to leave the Senate around 4 p.m., shortly after the Supreme Court declined to issue a temporary restraining order.

"Sinabi ko umalis na kayo diyan. At nag-comply naman sila," he said.

By the time the gunfire began nearly four hours later, the NBI had already pulled out, Marcos said.

Dela Rosa had asked the Supreme Court to stop any arrest or transfer to the ICC after the court unsealed a warrant against him for alleged crimes against humanity over the drug war. He has denied involvement in illegal killings.