Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa reportedly remained inside the Senate premises after several gunshots were heard inside.
Dela Rosa was seen in a picture together with his lawyer Israelito Torreon.
‘There are those who say that the shooting was just a diversion tactic to get Senator Dela Rosa out of the Senate, so let’s post this to put a stop to those stories,’ Torreon said in a Facebook post early Thursday morning.
Earlier, several shots were heard inside the second floor of the building.
Interior chief Jonvic Remulla later told the media that the first shots came from personnel of the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
The International Criminal Court on May 11 confirmed that an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s drug war.
The Supreme Court did not issue the temporary restraining order he sought against the ICC warrant.
Dela Rosa, former president Rodrigo Duterte’s chief drug war enforcer, has been staying at the Senate premises under what senators call a ‘protective custody’ after the ICC warrant against him.