Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Tuesday, April 21, appealed to Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to voluntarily decline receiving his salary and allowances as a senator amid his repeated absences since Nov. 11, 2025.
Ejercito made the appeal days ahead of the resumption of the Senate’s regular session on May 4, noting Dela Rosa’s 31 absences in the first 58 session days of the Upper Chamber, following reports of a pending arrest warrant against him from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
A complaint against the lawmaker is now pending before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which Ejercito currently chairs.
“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.
“As stated before, even by Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, the Senate has yet to establish rules that can compel attendance,” he pointed out.
“Any formal action will take time, as it must go through amendments and proper deliberation,” he stressed.
Ejercito emphasized that, like ordinary Filipinos who are subject to a “no work, no pay” scheme, public servants should be held to an even higher standard of accountability.
“Gaya ng mga ordinaryong Pilipinong ‘no work, no pay,’ lalo’t higit ganoon din dapat ang mga lingkod-bayan,” the senator said.
“Public service is a public trust; we are all accountable to the people we serve,” he reiterated. (Hannah Torregoza)
