Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano is asking the government to respond to the tense situation at the Senate, which has been marked by multiple gunshots within its building.

He made the call in a Facebook live post inside his office on Wednesday night, May 13, after the shots were fired.

He also had some choice words for National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag, who according to the Senate leader wasn't keen on responding.

"Si Senator Loren [Legarda] at si Senator Pia [Cayetano] finally got in touch with the NBI director. So they're here ha, they're here in the room. We have to turn off the lights dahil may putukan na nangyayari (because shots are being fired)," said the Senate President.

Referring to Matibag, he said, "So I said, 'Please find out what's happening kasi nagpuputukan.' Sabi niya, 'Walang magagawa kasi pinaalis [sila].' And then he started saying, 'Wag kami magtaas ng boses."

(So I said, “Please find out what’s happening because there are gunshots.” He replied, “Nothing can be done because they were sent away.” And then he started saying, “Don’t raise your voices at us.”)

What will you do director kung may putukan na, at lahat ng staff mo at yung mga OSAA (Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms) mo naka-vest na lahat at hindi malaman [ang] mangyayari. What would you do?

(What will you do, director, if there’s gunshots and all your staff and your OSAA personnel are already wearing vests, and no one knows what will happen. What would you do?)

"Hindi ba dapat ang sagot mo, 'Ma'am, sir, 'I'll go there, I'll make sure [I'll] help,'" the Senate President said.

(Shouldn’t your answer be, ‘Ma’am, sir, I’ll go there, I’ll make sure to help.’)

"The emotions are high here because bakit kami paaalisin eh (why would they tell us to leave), we're waiting for the articles of impeachment. And we're having a meeting," said the senator from Taguig-Pateros.

"Again kung sino ang nakikinig from the government, this is the Senate of the Philippines, we are allegedly under attack. The sergeant-at-arms has confirmed na may putukan na dito. So please kung sinong nanonood, sinong nakikinig, we expect yung tawagan namin would understand the emotions here," he said.

(Again, to whoever is listening from the government, this is the Senate of the Philippines, we are allegedly under attack. The sergeant-at-arms has confirmed that there is gunfire here. So please, to those watching, those listening, we expect that the people we are calling would understand the emotions here.)

Holed up at the Senate while everything went down was Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa. The ex-Philipoine National Police (PNP) chief is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The NBI tried to arrest Dela Rosa within the Senate building last Monday. Dela Rosa was placed under the Senate's protective custody.

Senate President Cayetano also claimed in his short livestream Wednesday that at least "four senators got tips" that something would happen ,and that they left beforehand.