Senate Siege Exposes Philippines' Unresolved Tensions The Philippine Senate, a bastion of democratic institutions in a country still grappling with authoritarian tendencies, has become the unlikely battleground for a power struggle that threatens to destabilize President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
's government. The sudden gunfire incident on May 13, which forced Senator Ronald Dela Rosa to seek refuge within the Senate complex, is merely the latest manifestation of a deeper malaise afflicting the country.
Dela Rosa, a former police chief and key figure in the brutal anti drug campaign during Rodrigo Duterte's presidency, has been the subject of an International Criminal Court warrant since November 2025.