President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for calm on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, following the tension that arose in the Senate after a shooting incident.
Presidential Statement
In a video statement on Wednesday night, Marcos assured that law enforcement would get to the bottom of the incident amid the looming arrest of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa. "I want to inform our fellow citizens about this incident; let us remain calm," the President said in Filipino. He added that he had spoken with Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and agreed that the priority is to urge everyone to stay calm while authorities investigate.
"We will find out who caused this disturbance. Was it really just an encounter, or is it part of destabilization efforts? We need to determine that, which is why the Senate and the PNP will conduct a joint investigation," Marcos stated.
Government Denies Involvement
Marcos assured that the government had no role in the incident and would never cause such chaos. He also clarified that there is no order to arrest Dela Rosa, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity during the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte has been detained in The Hague since March 2025.
"There is no instruction given to anybody to arrest Senator Bato Dela Rosa," Marcos said. He added that he had instructed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to leave the Senate premises after the Supreme Court resolution, and NBI Director Melvin Matibag confirmed that all personnel were back in their office.
Senate Protective Custody
The NBI attempted but failed to serve the arrest warrant on Dela Rosa when he returned to the Senate on May 11, 2026, after a six-month absence. He has been placed under the protective custody of the Senate until he exhausts all legal remedies to prevent his arrest.
The Supreme Court ordered the respondents to comment within 72 hours on Dela Rosa's motion to stop his arrest, detention, and transfer related to the ICC warrant. Respondents include Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, former PNP chiefs Rommel Marbil and Nicolas Torre III, former Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, among others.
