Manila is on high alert after eyewitnesses reported bursts of gunfire inside the Philippine Senate. The incident is believed to have taken place around 14:00 CEST, as tensions were mounting between the government and the public over the imminent arrest of a senator at the request of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, former head of the national police and enforcer of the bloody 'war on drugs' organised by former President Rodrigo Duterte (who is currently in custody awaiting trial at the ICC), had been barricaded inside the Senate building since last Monday, when he suspected that an arrest warrant would be issued against him on charges of crimes against humanity. The senator then called for a civil uprising to prevent his arrest, which he suspected would take place today, Wednesday.
Following the shooting this afternoon, the building was quickly evacuated, whilst some eyewitnesses claimed to have seen members of the army entering the building with rifles. The country's president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has released a video urging calm whilst the events are being investigated, whilst the interior minister has stated that no arrest or extradition warrant has been issued against dela Rosa at this stage. No group or faction has claimed responsibility for the shooting at the time of writing.
Source: Reuters.