Gunshots fired at Philippine Senate where Duterte ally resists ICC arrest - BERITAJA

Gunshots collapsed retired astatine the Philippine Senate connected Wednesday and group ran for screen aft a apical leader wanted by the International Criminal Court said his apprehension was imminent and information forces entered the building.

There were nary contiguous reports of casualties, however, Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza told reporters pursuing the chaos astatine the legislature successful the superior Manila.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a erstwhile constabulary main who was the main enforcer of ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “war connected drugs,” had earlier urged group to mobilize to forestall his apprehension and handover to the ICC.

The Hague-based tribunal connected Monday unsealed an apprehension warrant for dela Rosa connected charges of crimes against humanity, the aforesaid that 81-year-old Duterte is accused of arsenic he awaits trial in the ICC pursuing his transportation past year.

Dela Rosa, 64, has denied engagement successful forbidden killings.

“I americium appealing to you, I dream you could thief me. Do not let different Filipino to beryllium brought to The Hague,” he said successful a video connected Facebook from his Senate office, wherever he has taken refuge since Monday erstwhile placed nether legislative protection.

Senate Secretary Mendoza said rule enforcement officers believed to beryllium from the National Bureau of Investigation had attempted to participate the Senate and fired arsenic they retreated.

But NBI Director Melvin Matibag told GMA News that nary agents had been deployed.

“I said pinch the (justice) curate and he told maine to await instructions. We person nary preparations whatsoever,” he said.

More than 10 subject unit successful camouflage fatigues arrived, immoderate carrying battle rifles, Reuters journalists saw.

The main of the military’s nationalist affairs agency Xerxes Trinidad told Reuters the Senate had requested thief to “assist them successful securing the facility.”

Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla said it was unclear who fired shots and information footage would request to beryllium checked. He said dela Rosa was safe and he assured him nary apprehension would beryllium made.

The agency of the charismatic astatine the ICC referred requests for remark to the court. The court’s property agency did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Dela Rosa was Duterte’s apical lieutenant overseeing a fierce crackdown during which thousands of alleged supplier dealers were slain, pinch quality authorities groups accusing constabulary of systematic murders and cover-ups.

Police cull the allegations and opportunity the much than 6,000 killed successful anti-drugs operations were each equipped and had resisted arrest.

Activists opportunity the existent decease toll whitethorn ne'er beryllium known, pinch users and small-time peddlers gunned down almost regular successful mysterious slumland killings blamed connected vigilantes and turf wars.

The Senate was heavy guarded passim Wednesday, pinch lines of constabulary deployed to support the bid arsenic protesters gathered, immoderate calling for the apprehension of dela Rosa, amended known successful the Philippines as “Bato,” aliases “rock.”

His ally, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, said he had spoken to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who had assured him nary authorities unit had been progressive successful Wednesday’s incident.

Dela Rosa, who returned to the Senate connected Monday for the first clip since disappearing from nationalist position successful November, has appealed to Marcos not to manus him complete to the ICC.

He has besides revenge an emergency petition pinch the Supreme Court urging it to artifact immoderate effort to transportation him to The Hague. The tribunal successful a connection connected Wednesday gave each parties to the petition 72 hours to respond.

Dela Rosa insists immoderate transportation to the ICC would beryllium illegal, arsenic the state is nary longer a signatory to the Rome Statute.

Duterte unilaterally withdrew the Philippines from the ICC successful 2018 erstwhile its charismatic announced a preliminary introspection into his anti-drugs run had started. The ICC says alleged crimes committed while a state was a personnel are nether its jurisdiction.

Duterte is group to go the first Asian erstwhile caput of authorities to spell connected proceedings astatine the ICC, a tribunal he many times dared to prosecute him during a succession of nationalist speeches, saying he was fresh to “rot successful jail” to protect his group from the narcotics scourge.

He maintains his innocence, according to his ineligible team.