LIVE UPDATES: Tension at Philippine Senate amid Bato dela Rosa arrest
As tensions continue to rise at the Philippine Senate, all eyes are now on the unfolding drama surrounding the possible arrest of Senator Ronald dela Rosa.
Stay tuned to this live updates page for the latest developments and real-time coverage on the controversy gripping the country today from the Senate.
Scroll down to get the latest updates of the drama unfolding at the Senate
LIVE: Gunshots heard at Senate
Gunshots heard at Senate amid tension over Bato arrest
Gunshots were reportedly heard at the Senate on Wednesday evening, May 13, 2026, as tensions rose following developments related to Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s arrest.
Various media outlets reported the alleged gunshots as authorities, members of the media, and supporters gathered in the area.
LOOK: ICC tags Bato dela Rosa as defendant ‘at large’
Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa now officially appears on the wanted list of the International Criminal Court in connection with his role in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
READ: ICC confirms arrest warrant vs Bato dela Rosa
Dela Rosa, as seen on the ICC’s website, is listed “at large” in the court’s list of defendants with outstanding arrest warrants.
‘We’re not living Bato’
Remulla enters Senate
‘WE ARE UNDER ATTACK’
LOOK: Exchange of gunfire heard on the 2nd floor of the Senate offices in the Philippines
Drilling noises heard
Wearing vests
Chaos at the Senate as gunfire reports rock Bato standoff
Chaos gripped the Senate on Wednesday night, May 13, after reports of gunfire, a heavy law enforcement presence, and a tense standoff over the possible arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa trapped senators, media personnel, and staff inside the building.
Several senators claimed armed tensions erupted within the Senate premises as authorities allegedly moved to arrest dela Rosa in connection with developments tied to the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the Duterte administration’s drug war.
Bato safe, no arrest tonight after Senate chaos, Cayetano says
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa will not face arrest “for now” after chaos, reported gunfire, and a tense security lockdown gripped the Senate on Wednesday night, May 13, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said.
In a Facebook Live update hours after tensions erupted inside the Senate complex, Cayetano said government officials assured senators that authorities would respect the Supreme Court’s directive giving dela Rosa time to respond to legal matters linked to the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the Duterte administration’s drug war.
“Senator Bato is secured. He’s okay,” Cayetano said.
Still trapped
Marcos calls Cayetano
Robin Padilla in a meeting
Support for Bato
Senators’ reactions on tension at Senate
President Marcos on Senate incident: ‘We’ll get to the bottom of this’
President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. said the government had no involvement in the tense incident at the Senate on Wednesday night, in which several gunshots were heard.
President Marcos assured the public that the Senate and the Philippine National Police (PNP would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
NBI Director: ‘We did not deploy agents to Senate’
No agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agency had been deployed to the Senate, the agency’s director, Melvin Matibag said, after gunshots were heard in the chamber on Wednesday night.
Journalists covering the Senate heard at least five shots as tensions escalated amid speculation that authorities were moving to arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa over an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against him.
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda requested in a call that Matibag withdraw his personnel from the chamber, he said.
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