MASADA condemns Senate incident as ‘attack on democracy’

The Masa Sara Duterte Alliance on Friday condemned the recent incident at the Philippine Senate, calling it a “direct attack” on what it described as the country’s “last bastion of democracy.”

Benito Ranque, MASADA founding chairman, said the shooting incident inside the Senate complex on Wednesday night had drawn international attention and was linked to the alleged attempt to enforce an arrest warrant tied to the International Criminal Court.

“The attack on the Philippine Senate will be recorded in the annals of history as a direct assault on the last bastion of democracy to enforce an arrest warrant issued by a foreign court,” Ranque said.

He claimed the incident contradicted earlier statements made by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his time as senator, when he described the Senate as a symbol of democratic protection and a check against executive overreach.

Ranque said that while Marcos denied ordering any operation connected to the incident, the damage had already been done and alleged that the objective was to enforce the ICC process through the executive branch.

He also claimed that the alleged attempt to arrest Ronald dela Rosa was intended to mirror what he described as the “kidnapping” of former President Rodrigo Duterte on 11 March 2025.

Ranque further cited a 2011 statement by Marcos, then chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, where he defended the autonomy of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and described the Senate as an “independent bastion of democracy.”

At the time, Marcos opposed moves to postpone ARMM elections and appoint officers-in-charge, saying such actions would undermine regional autonomy guaranteed under the Constitution.