Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Monday that the principle of no work, no pay does not apply to senators despite growing questions over the prolonged absence of Senator Ronald dela Rosa.
“As far as I know, there is no such rule for us,” the senator said.
He made the clarification after reporters asked whether the rule that applies to ordinary workers should also apply to lawmakers who fail to attend sessions.
“There’s no such setup for senators. But it’s better discussed in a caucus because I don’t think an issue like this has happened before,” Gatchalian said.
Despite this, he reminded lawmakers that they cannot disregard their responsibilities, particularly during budget deliberations.
He said every senator is assigned to defend the budgets of specific agencies, making attendance essential during debates on annual spending proposals.
Proper procedure for absences, he said, requires a formal letter addressed to the concerned committee explaining why a senator cannot perform official duties.
“The Senate President should also receive a formal letter stating why you cannot attend. These formal letters are important because they will be the official reason for a senator’s absence,” he added.
Dela Rosa’s absence meant Gatchalian had to defend the proposed 2026 budgets of the Department of National Defense, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and the National Security Council.
He said a member of Dela Rosa’s staff merely informed him during plenary debates that the senator would not attend deliberations on the budgets he was assigned to defend.
Labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno criticized Dela Rosa’s continued absence, calling it an insult to workers who face suspension or dismissal for missing work without notice.
According to KMU Chair Jerome Adonis, employees are compelled to report for duty even during storms and holidays under no work, no pay rules, yet their wages remain too low to sustain their families while government officials accused of neglect still receive full salaries.
“Shame on you. You earn hundreds of thousands of pesos every month, money taken from the taxes of workers who struggle to make their meager incomes last. If you refuse to work, you should be removed from your position,” Adonis said.
He added that it would be better for Dela Rosa to surrender to the International Criminal Court so the public knows his whereabouts instead of watching him avoid accountability.
