(Developing story)
SENATE President Alan Peter Cayetano declared on Wednesday evening that the Senate was “allegedly under attack,” as the chamber remained under strict lockdown amid the standoff over the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
In a video statement taken inside a dimly lit room—with his sister, Senator Pia Cayetano, standing behind him—Cayetano revealed that four senators had received urgent warnings roughly 30 minutes prior, advising them to leave the premises immediately because something was about to happen.
“The emotions are high here, because bakit kami paaalisin, eh we’re waiting for the articles of impeachment and we’re having a meeting?” Cayetano said, expressing confusion and alarm over the pressure for them to evacuate.
Tensions peaked further that same evening, as the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte were formally delivered to the Senate, turning an already volatile situation into a critical moment for the legislature. The timing of the delivery, coming alongside reports of threats and gunfire earlier in the night, deepened the sense of crisis gripping the upper chamber.
Cayetano issued a direct appeal to authorities and those in government, emphasizing the institution’s importance and the gravity of what was unfolding.
“Kung sino ang nakikinig from the government, this is the Senate of the Philippines, we are allegedly under attack,” he stated. With the building’s lights cut off, security forces deployed around the perimeter, and Dela Rosa still inside under protective custody, the Senate has become the center of converging legal, political, and security conflicts — leaving lawmakers and staff on edge as uncertainty hangs over the entire complex.
metrosundaily
