The Philippine Senate became the center of heated political tension and online discourse after a leadership coup by senators and the controversial appearance of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa amid reports of an arrest warrant tied to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Tensions rose in the Senate on Monday, May 11, when Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano claimed that senators are now seeking a change in leadership, with 13 senators backing the change, over nine opposing senators, and two abstentions.
Among the 13 senators who backed the coup was Senator Dela Rosa, who finally showed up on the floor after being absent from sessions since November 2025.
Chaos further erupted during the plenary as a visibly emotional Bato angrily claimed that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had attempted to prevent him from entering the Senate complex.
It was later learned that agents were attempting to serve him a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, allegedly tied to his role as the Philippine National Police chief during the controversial drug war under former president Rodrigo Duterte. The latter is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands, for similar charges.
Videos and photos circulating online showed emotional and tense moments involving the senator inside Senate premises, drawing mixed reactions from the public.
Celebrities, public personalities, and netizens quickly took to social media to share their political opinions as dramatic scenes unfolded inside the Senate complex.
A mix of memes and reactions online further intensified after Dela Rosa’s evasion of his arrest was witnessed in CCTV footage, where he managed to escape NBI agents who were reportedly there to serve his arrest warrant.
As of Thursday, May 14, Sen. Alan Cayetano confirmed that Dela Rosa had fled from the Senate compound hours after gunshots were fired inside the Senate building where he had been staying under the Senate’s protective custody after evading an arrest attempt by the NBI.
In response to the reported shooting, Dela Rosa’s counsel, Israelito Torreon, denied that the incident was a “diversion tactic” designed to facilitate the escape of the lawmaker.
“May mga nagasabi na diversion tactic lang daw yung putukan para makaalis sa Senado si Senator Dela Rosa, eh ipost nga natin ito para matigil na ‘yang mga kwento na ‘yan,” his statement on Facebook read.
Meanwhile, ICC has formally included Dela Rosa’s name in its public list of wanted fugitives.
