A party-list lawmaker has raised concern over the exemption of elected officials from the “no work, no pay” principle after reports that Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa continued to receive his full salary despite prolonged absence from Senate sessions and official work.
Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Elijah San Fernando stressed that it is infuriating when ordinary workers are strictly subjected to the “no work, no pay” principle while powerful politicians face no real accountability for failing to report to work.
“’Pag ordinaryong manggagawa, no work no pay policy yan. Tapos merong mga … Senador gaya ni Bato Dela Rosa na hindi na nga pumapasok at hindi gumagampan dun sa trabaho nila, nakukuha pang buo yung sahod nila.”
(When ordinary workers are involved, the no work no pay policy is strictly implemented. But for Senators like Bato Dela Rosa, who has been absent for a long time and fails to fulfill his functions, they still get their full salary.)
He stressed that Senate leadership cannot hide behind technicalities to justify the moral failure behind absenteeism.
Fernando warned that such practices only deepen public anger and mistrust toward government institutions, especially at a time when workers are struggling to survive on low wages while elected officials continue to enjoy privileged treatment regardless of performance.
He underscored that “even personal legal issues are not excuses for abandoning public duties, especially when ordinary workers cannot use similar reasons to skip work without losing pay.”
