More than a dozen gunshots were heard inside the Philippine Senate while former national police chief and current Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa remained under Senate protective custody in the face of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, The Philippine Star reported on May 13. Officials have not identified who fired the shots or why, and armed personnel from multiple security bodies were present around the Senate as the standoff escalated.

Matters escalated on May 11 after the ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa, the same day the House of Representatives impeached Vice President Duterte and Duterte-aligned senators replaced the Senate president with a political ally. The Senate then placed Dela Rosa under protective custody after National Bureau of Investigation agents' initial attempt to serve the warrant was blocked. A second attempt occurred on May 12, and on May 13 Dela Rosa posted on Facebook urging supporters to prevent his transfer to The Hague.