Tensions were already high on Wednesday night in the Philippine Senate, days after lawmakers abruptly ousted its leader and an ex-police chief wanted by the International Criminal Court showed up after six months in hiding.
But few could guess at how suddenly terrifying things were going to get.
Hours after wanted Senator Ronald dela Rosa had serenaded a group of reporters with the alma mater song of the Philippine Military Academy and declared his right to sanctuary from arrest in the building, the chamber was plunged into chaos when dozens of gunshots suddenly rang out.
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The Senate’s newly installed president declared one of the country’s most powerful institutions was under attack. He said President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s government should do something about the situation, the latest chapter in the dynastic political drama that has gripped the Philippines. And sometime before dawn, amid the confusion, Dela Rosa slipped out and has not been seen since.
This is a retelling of that brief moment from interviews with witnesses, politicians and Senate security:
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At around 7.45pm, Senate security saw two men wearing black bulletproof vests emblazoned with NBI – the National Bureau of Investigation, who had sought dela Rosa’s arrest. “Who are you?” yelled Mao Aplasca, acting Senate sergeant-at-arms, the chamber’s security service.