Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro assured that government forces were not involved in the gunshots heard inside the Senate building during a lockdown on Wednesday night.
In a Facebook Live broadcast, Cayetano said the two officials also committed to an independent investigation into the incident, which came amid reports that authorities were preparing to arrest Senator Ronald dela Rosa.
The International Criminal Court earlier issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa in connection with crimes against humanity charges linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Dela Rosa was identified as a co-conspirator in the killings of drug suspects during Duterte’s tenure as Davao City mayor and later as president, according to the ICC case.
Cayetano said most senators from the majority bloc were with him while Dela Rosa stayed on the fifth floor of the Senate building. He added that he and Justice Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla planned to check on the senator.
The Senate chief also said authorities would not arrest Dela Rosa for now out of respect for a Supreme Court order directing respondent government officials and Dela Rosa himself to submit comments regarding his manifestation questioning the ICC arrest warrant.
