A burst of gunfire rang out Wednesday night inside the Philippine Senate, where authorities are trying to arrest Sen. Ronald dela Rosa on an International Criminal Court charge of crimes against humanity.
It was not immediately clear what caused the shooting or if there were injuries. Dela Rosa has been in protective custody by allied senators as authorities attempt to detain him and possibly transfer him to the ICC.
Senate President Alan Cayetano confirmed gunshots were fired but provided no further details, adding: "The emotions are high here."
The ICC unsealed an arrest warrant Monday charging dela Rosa with murder as a crime against humanity for his role as national police chief under then-President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug crackdown. The warrant covers the killings of at least 32 people between July 2016 and April 2018.
Dela Rosa, 64, says he will fight the ICC order and called on followers to gather at the Senate to prevent his arrest.