Philippine authorities are investigating Senate security officers who discharged their weapons without provocation last week, in an incident that occurred while a senator facing an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant was present inside the legislative building. The shooting has raised questions about security protocols and the circumstances surrounding the senator’s subsequent escape.

Juanito Victor Remulla, secretary of the interior and local government, stated on Tuesday that the May 13 shooting was not an “attack on the Senate.” He further clarified that no one was in the immediate vicinity when the first shot was fired. This assertion comes as the nation grapples with the implications of a senator evading an international arrest warrant within the confines of its highest legislative body.

Remulla identified Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca as the individual who discharged the initial shot. National Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez reported that investigators recovered 44 fired cartridges, traceable to four different firearms. Nartatez also indicated that Aplasca has been summoned for ballistics testing of his weapon but has not yet complied. Preliminary review of subpoenaed CCTV footage from the Senate reportedly shows Aplasca firing a rifle.

The investigation is now being transferred to the Department of Justice for further inquiry. Remulla confirmed that the president has been briefed on the findings but has not yet issued any directives. The incident occurred when Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, a former police chief and a prominent figure in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, sought refuge in the Senate building on May 11. This followed the ICC’s confirmation of an unsealed arrest warrant for him on charges of crimes against humanity.

Following the shooting incident, Senator Dela Rosa reportedly left the legislative building and departed in a vehicle registered to his ally, Senator Robin Padilla, heading to an undisclosed location. Remulla reiterated that all evidence suggests the event was not an attack on the Senate, emphasizing that government agents did not enter the building during the incident.

The Senate itself was reportedly disrupted by the sound of numerous gunshots on May 11, with armed personnel later entering the building to apprehend Dela Rosa. Dela Rosa, a key figure during Duterte’s presidency, oversaw a period marked by a severe crackdown on illegal drugs, which resulted in thousands of reported extrajudicial killings. Former President Duterte himself is currently awaiting trial before the ICC in The Hague on related charges.

The probe into the security guards' actions aims to determine the cause of the unprovoked firing and any potential breaches of protocol. The escape of Senator Dela Rosa, while under an international arrest warrant, further complicates the situation, raising concerns about accountability and the integrity of the judicial process.

Authorities are expected to release further details as the Department of Justice conducts its comprehensive investigation into the security lapses and the circumstances surrounding Senator Dela Rosa's departure.