Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and three other senators were absent from the first-ever live-streamed Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations on Saturday, December 14.
Since mid-November, Dela Rosa has not attended plenary sessions, and he skipped the bicameral conference opening despite being named as one of the conferees.
To recall, Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has stepped in to manage the budget responsibilities that Senator Dela Rosa has neglected since he last appeared in Senate sessions on November 11.
In addition to Dela Rosa, Senators Camille Villar, Pia Cayetano, and JV Ejercito were also absent during the start of the meeting.
Representing the Senate at the deliberations were only Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Imee Marcos, Kiko Pangilinan, Loren Legarda, Erwin Tulfo, and Bong Go.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have agreed to start the deliberations on Saturday, December 13, and aim to finish later this week.
