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Gunshots Trigger Senate Lockdown; Dela Rosa Bars Hague Transfer

5/16/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Gunshots rang out inside the Philippine Senate on May 13, 2026, prompting a lockdown with no casualties.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa posted a video urging supporters to block his transfer to The Hague after an ICC warrant.
Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza reported agents he thought were from the National Bureau of Investigation fired shots inside the Senate, a claim NBI director Melvin Matibag denied.

History

Historical Context

After the DRC government referred the Ituri conflict to the ICC in 2004, the court issued its first sealed arrest warrant on 10 February 2006 against rebel leader Thomas Lubanga for conscripting child soldiers; he was arrested in March 2006, marking the ICC’s inaugural detention. The precedent sparked debate among African states about the court’s reach.

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Story summary

Gunshots rang out inside the Philippine Senate on May 13, 2026, prompting a lockdown with no casualties.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa posted a video urging supporters to block his transfer to The Hague after an ICC warrant.
Senate Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza reported agents he thought were from the National Bureau of Investigation fired shots inside the Senate, a claim NBI director Melvin Matibag denied.

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