MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an investigation Wednesday night, May 13, into the gunshots fired inside the Senate, clarifying that no order had been given to government forces to arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

In a video statement released past 10 p.m., Marcos said he had monitored the standoff for two and a half hours and had called Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag. Both told him their forces did not fire the shots heard inside the premises.

“Hindi po gobyerno ang gumawa nito. Walang pumasok na tigalabas na sundalo, na militar, na NBI sa Senado,” (“Government forces did not do this. No soldiers, military personnel, or NBI agents entered the Senate.”) Marcos said. “Hindi po natin alam kung sino ‘yun na nagsubok na pumasok at saka dahil doon ay nagkaputukan.” (“We do not know who those were who tried to enter, and because of that, shots were fired.”)

The gunshots erupted shortly before 8 p.m. inside the Senate complex in Pasay, where Dela Rosa has been holed up since Monday to evade an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for crimes against humanity.

No casualties have been reported.

Marcos said he ordered NBI agents to leave the Senate around 4 p.m. Wednesday, shortly after the Supreme Court declined to issue a temporary restraining order against Dela Rosa’s arrest.

“Sinabi ko umalis na kayo diyan. At nag-comply naman sila,” he said.

By the time the gunfire began nearly four hours later, the NBI had already pulled out, the president said.

Marcos stressed there was no standing order to arrest the senator. “Wala. Wala pong instruction kahit na kanino na hulihin si Senator Bato.”

The president also explained who exactly were the uniformed persons seen inside the building during the lockdown, as captured by several news outlets while on the scene.

The Philippine National Police personnel, he said, were on duty for crowd control and were assigned there as Senate security.

The Marines were part of a permanent detachment that provides building security and honor guard, Marcos said.

The third group, carrying long firearms, were Senate sergeant-at-arms personnel, he added.

“Lahat ng nakikita ninyong nakauniporme o naka-armado ay nandoon, ay tiga-doon,” Marcos said. “Doon sila nagdu-duty.”

The president said he has spoken with Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and agreed to call for calm.

The Senate and the PNP will jointly investigate, he said, to determine whether the gunfire was an accidental encounter or a deliberate attempt to provoke chaos.

“Ito ba ay talagang nagkaengkwentro lang, o ito ba ay may kasama sa mga disturb, o nagsisimula ng gulo? Kailangan po natin malaman ‘yan,” Marcos said.

He said investigators were collecting evidence at the scene and appealed for the public to stay calm. “Aalamin natin kung sino ang gumawa nitong gulo na ito.

Journalists at the scene including Philstar.com reported that they scrambled for cover as several gunshots rang out inside the building.

The lights inside the complex were later cut.

Outside, supporters of Dela Rosa were seen surging toward the gates as over a hundred police officers formed defensive lines and guarded barricades outside the compound.

The ICC warrant against Dela Rosa, unsealed Monday, charges him as an indirect co-perpetrator of crimes against humanity for the killing of at least 32 people between July 2016 and April 2018, when he served as PNP chief.  — Cristina Chi with reports by Ian Laqui