Ethics complaint vs Bato may be dismissed if Senate rules not amended — JV Ejercito

The ethics complaint filed against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa over his continued absence in the Senate may be dismissed if heard without the rules of the Senate getting amended, panel chairman Senator JV Ejercito said Wednesday. 

At a press conference, Ejercito pointed out that there is no provision about the “no work, no pay” in the rules either of the committee on ethics and privileges, or the Senate entirely. 

“Outright, kung itutuloy namin ‘yan, the case will be dismissed. Wala kasi sa rules namin eh ‘di ba? So it will be dismissed kasi ‘you cannot find it anywhere in our rules sa ethics or sa rules of the Senate,” Ejercito told reporters. 

(Outright, if we will pursue this, the case will be dismissed. It’s not in our rules, right? So it will be dismissed because you cannot find it anywhere in the rules of the ethics committee or the rules of the Senate.) 

“We just have to amend the rules first and then probably they can refile, just in case,” he added. 

The ethics complaint against Dela Rosa was filed on February 25, 2026, by the civil society group Wag Kang KuCorrupt. 

In the complaint, the group said that the continued failure of a sitting senator to report for work and perform the functions of his office “constitutes not only a clear dereliction of duty but also a grave abuse of the privilege entrusted to him by the Filipino people.”

The group thus urged the Senate committee to conduct a formal inquiry into the matter, determine whether there has been a violation of Senate rules and ethical standards, and impose appropriate sanctions if warranted. 

But Ejercito maintained that a fellow senator has to push for the amendment of the rules first to avoid the dismissal of the complaint.

“If any member would propose that the rules be amended or proposed the inclusion of such provision—’yung (the) no work, no pay, then we can make the necessary amendment,” he said. 

“Kung gusto mag-prosper, kailangan i-amend ang rules to include ‘yung sa no, work no pay,” he stressed.

(If you want it to prosper, the rules have to be amended to include the no, work no pay.) 

Ejercito also said that the complaint against Dela Rosa is the sixth in line. He repeatedly said that the committee will hear all complaints based on the “first in, first out” basis. 

As of Wednesday, March 18, Ejercito said that a total of nine complaints had been lodged before the ethics committee. 

Asked about the possibility of the rules being amended immediately before the hearing on Dela Rosa’s ethics complaint, Ejercito said, “Siguro (maybe) as we go along, we will have to discuss it with the committee members.”

To recall, Dela Rosa has not made any public appearance and has not attended any session at the Senate since November 2025. 

His absences began after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla alleged that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest against him over the bloody war on drugs. 

The ICC Office of the Prosecutor later identified Dela Rosa as one of the alleged co-perpetrators of former president Rodrigo Duterte in his crimes against humanity case. 

Sufficiency in form and substance

Ejercito also said in the press briefing that all complaints filed will undergo scrutiny to determine whether they comply with form and substance, before proceeding with the preliminary inquiry. 

“It’s the committee who will determine kung meron talagang (if they have) grounds for the cases to prosper—kung frivolous, kung political ito o anuman (if they are frivolous, political, or whatsoever). It will be the committee’s discretion,” he said. 

This, as he announced that the panel has formally passed and adopted the rules of the ethics committee. 

He said that the rules have to be published first within 24 hours before the notices are sent to the respondents. 

“Kung mag-prosper, kung found to have grounds and complied, then that's the only time we will call the respondents and we will also give the time to respondents to submit ‘yung kanilang response sa kanyang complaint,” Ejercito added. 

(If it prospers, if found to have grounds and it complied with form and substance, then that's the only time we will call the respondents and we will also give them time to submit their response to their complaint.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News