The Senate Ethics Committee has requested Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa to provide his comments regarding a proposal to amend Senate rules to implement a 'no work, no pay' policy for absent senators. Senate Ethics Committee Chairperson Senator JV Ejercito stated that the committee has discussed various complaints against Senate members, including the proposed stricter policy on absenteeism.
Following these discussions, a request was sent to Dela Rosa for his statement on the matter. Ejercito emphasized that they are considering applying the 'no work, no pay' principle to elected officials and stressed that any amendment to existing rules would need to go through the Senate plenary.
It is worth recalling that Dela Rosa has not attended sessions since November 2025, following reports of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to his involvement in the war on drugs. Consequently, he faces an ethics complaint due to his continued absence from sessions.
Ejercito expressed hope that Dela Rosa would voluntarily forfeit his salary and allowances while not actively attending the Senate, as a demonstration of fairness to ordinary workers who are not paid when they do not report to work.
Meanwhile, the committee also reported that it is handling nine complaints. Four were dismissed due to lack of substance, three were postponed, and two require further clarification from government agencies before resolution. The committee clarified that the details of their hearings and dockets will remain confidential.
