JV Ejercito urges Bato to forego salary amid prolonged absence

Senate Deputy Majority Leader and Ethics committee chair Sen. JV Ejercito on Tuesday called on Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to forgo his salary and allowances amid his continued absence in the Senate.

To recall, dela Rosa has not made any public appearance and has not attended any session at the Senate since November 2025, amid claims that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest against him over his links to the controversial war on drugs. 

“Umaapela tayo kay Sen. Bato Dela Rosa na kusang-loob na hindi muna tumanggap ng sweldo at allowances niya sa Senado,” Ejercito said in a statement. 

(We appeal to Sen. Bato Dela Rosa to voluntarily forgo his Senate salary and allowances for the time being.) 

“Gaya ng mga ordinaryong Pilipinong ‘no work no pay,’ lalo’t higit ganoon din dapat ang mga lingkod-bayan. Public service is a public trust, we are all accountable to the people we serve,” he added. 

(Just like ordinary Filipinos who are subject to the ‘no work no pay’ policy, public servants should also adhere to that.) 

GMA News Online reached out to the office of dela Rosa for a comment and will update this story once it responds. 

Ejercito also reiterated that the Senate has no existing “no work, no pay” policy, therefore the rules have to be amended first to deal with senators’ absences. 

“As stated before, even by Senate President Sotto, the Senate has yet to establish rules that can compel attendance. Any formal action will take time, as it must go through amendments and proper deliberation,” he said. 

Ejercito previously said that the ethics complaint filed against dela Rosa over his continued absence may be dismissed if immediately heard without the rules of the Senate getting amended.

Last Thursday, Ejercito said the Senate committee on ethics and privileges was already set to proceed with its work after securing enough signatures for its rules, which were at that time up for publication. 

The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for April 28, where pending complaints will be reviewed for compliance with form and substance. —RF, GMA News