PASAY CITY—The Philippine Senate erupted in protest on May 12, after National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents attempted to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa during a chaotic confrontation that left a Senate security officer injured. 

New Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano slammed the move as a breach of constitutional process, noting that any law enforcement action within the chamber must be backed by a local court warrant and respect the institution's dignity. 

“Today proves na hindi tayo magulo. Kapag hindi tayo ginugulo, hindi tayo magulo,” SP Cayetano said.

In response to the disruption, the Senate has launched a formal internal investigation to be led by the Senate Legal Counsel. 

Lawmakers expressed outrage over the "violent treatment" of the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms staff, with Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri calling for "proper restraint" from law enforcement. 

Zubiri urged his colleagues to stand by their personnel, who he noted were injured while simply trying to maintain order and protect the sanctity of the upper chamber.

“There should be proper restraint on the part of the law enforcement agency, and I commiserate with our staff who are now suffering from low morale,” Senator Zubiri said.

While the NBI conducts its own separate inquiry into the May 11 incident, the Senate has put further actions on hold pending the results of their internal review. 

Legal teams from all senatorial offices have been invited to evaluate the breach of protocol to ensure such "external interference" never happens again. 

For now, the leadership insists that all legal remedies under the Constitution must be exhausted before any member or staff is subjected to such aggressive tactics.