After several gunshots were heard from the Senate building on the evening of May 13, several Facebook users and pages were quick to spread a claim that there were “multiple dead” reported in the incident. There’s no truth to it.
Originally published shortly after the early evening firing of guns inside the halls of the Senate but has since been taken down, the source of the rumor was Cavite Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga, a staunch ally of the Dutertes who joined supporters of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa in a protest rally earlier in the day outside the premises.
Dela Rosa has been evading arrest by staying under the Senate’s protective custody after the International Criminal Court unsealed the arrest warrant against him, originally issued as secret on Nov. 6, 2025, over alleged crimes against humanity of murder in relation to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. Dela Rosa was chief of the Philippine National Police that implemented the bloody drug war.
In the now-deleted post, Barzaga claimed:
“Reports of multiple dead after gunfight within Senate Building, will confirm later.
#BarilanSaSenado (#ShootoutintheSenate)”
Between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on May 13, at least two users and a page reposted the unconfirmed report, with some censoring the word “dead.” Another user posted a video of several gunshots at the Senate uploaded by Bilyonaryo News Channel and used Barzaga’s claim as caption.
Later into the night, the congressman backtracked from his previous claim, saying:
“New reports state that there were no casualties involved, the Senate is in full lockdown as of the moment.”
But several posts carrying the original claim about “multiple dead” continue to circulate as of writing.
During a press briefing, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who emerged from the building along with some members of the newly installed Senate majority, said no casualties and injuries were reported despite the multiple gunshots.
This was also what Remulla initially told reporters when he arrived at the Senate complex around 9 p.m., saying his presence was to ensure the safety of the senators, not to arrest Dela Rosa.
The gunshots were fired inside the Senate building hours after the Supreme Court did not grant Dela Rosa’s plea for a temporary restraining order to prevent his arrest, detention or transfer to the ICC in The Hague. The high court instead directed government officials to comment within 72 hours on the senator’s petition.
Remulla said armed men allegedly attempted to enter the Senate building through the second floor but were stopped by the chamber’s internal security under the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms, who reportedly fired a warning shot.
“They retreated at the back and then started firing indiscriminately into the air. Now, we do not have a definite count of how many people tried to enter the building,” the DILG chief added.
In a video statement published hours after the gunfire, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said “the government is not behind this,” adding that no instruction was given to arrest Dela Rosa.
On May 14, several media organizations reported that a 44-year-old driver employed at the National Bureau of Investigation named Mel Oragon had been identified as the alleged suspect in the Senate shooting incident, as reported by the Southern Police District.
The spurious claim circulated by FB users and a page, such as Duterte Supporters (Feb. 26, 2025), has so far collectively garnered 1,284 reactions; 256 comments; 159 shares as of writing. The video bearing the false claim has been viewed 24,000 times.
