A proposal to impose a “no work, no pay” policy in the Senate has gained traction following the prolonged absences of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, prompting the ethics committee to seek his comment on the measure.
Sen. JV Ejercito, who chairs the panel, said the committee asked Dela Rosa to give his position on the proposed amendment after it was taken up in a May 4 meeting.
“This is not yet [the] specific ethics complaint response [being asked] from Senator Dela Rosa,” Ejercito said.
“The ethics committee asked him to comment on the rule amendment proposal because it concerns a complaint filed against him as well,” he added.
The proposal stems from an ethics complaint tied to Dela Rosa’s attendance record. He has not attended sessions since November and has logged 31 absences out of 58 session days during the 20th Congress’ first regular session.
Ejercito said Dela Rosa has yet to respond.
Current Senate rules do not provide a mechanism to deduct a lawmaker’s salary for non-attendance, a gap now under review as the panel weighs possible changes.
“As a colleague, I believe it is only fair that ‘no work, no pay’ applies to everyone’s salary and allowances,” Ejercito said.
Senate President Tito Sotto said he would recommend that the panel require Dela Rosa to explain his absences through a show cause order.
“Isa-suggest ko na hingan si Senador Bato ng explanasyon — kumbaga, show cause why we should not follow or give in to the complaints,” Sotto said.
Any amendment to Senate rules would need approval in plenary.
