Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Tuesday that citizens who want to hold Senator Ronald dela Rosa accountable for his repeated absences should file an ethics complaint.
“If we have fellow citizens who want to ask or want to hold a legislator accountable, they should file an ethics complaint. That is the best remedy for us to discuss it,” Sotto suggested.
Despite his statement, Sotto clarified that the “no work, no pay” rule does not apply to senators, including Dela Rosa, who has missed sessions since November 11. He also questioned why the Senate is being criticized for a two-to three-week absence when representatives from the House have missed sessions without similar scrutiny.
Sotto confirmed that Dela Rosa has not personally communicated with him but noted that the senator’s office remains operational and will not face budget cuts due to his absence.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson jokingly told Dela Rosa to hide well if he does not intend to surrender, following a lighthearted exchange between the two. Lacson said the conversation took place in a group chat with all senators, where he casually checked on Dela Rosa’s wellbeing.
Dela Rosa replied jokingly that he would try to break Lacson’s record in hiding.
The Department of Justice, however, maintains that it has not yet received any copy of the warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court. Lacson added that Dela Rosa’s repeated absences could be subject to sanctions under existing rules, noting that under Senate rules, extended absences may lead to penalties.
Meanwhile, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said Tuesday that Dela Rosa’s absences may constitute disorderly behavior. In a radio interview, he explained that the Senate Committee on Ethics may take up the matter, stressing that absence without sufficient reason is inappropriate for any elected official.
He noted that the 1987 Constitution empowers both chambers of Congress to punish members for disorderly behavior, with Supreme Court rulings supporting the same authority. However, he added that defining such acts is left to Congress’ discretion.
Macalintal also argued that it would be discriminatory to exempt senators from the “no work, no pay” rule, saying ordinary clerks are not afforded the same leniency.
