The political camp of embattled Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is weighing the option of voluntarily forgoing his Senate salary and allowances, as pressure mounts over his prolonged absence from the chamber, Manila Bulletin reported.
Senate Ethics Committee Chairman Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, who first floated the proposal, said he received word that Dela Rosa’s allies are taking the suggestion seriously.
“We don’t know how to get in touch with him. Kaya lang, meron namang parating na mukhang pinag-uusapan na nila ng kanyang kampo. Hopefully, magkaroon na ng positive development by next week,” Ejercito said.
Dela Rosa has not set foot in the Senate since November 2025, after reports surfaced that the International Criminal Court was set to issue a warrant for his arrest.
Ejercito said a voluntary waiver is the more practical route, noting that revising Senate rules to compel the move would be a drawn-out and cumbersome process — a view reportedly shared by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
“Kasi kung susundin mo talaga yung rules, medyo matagal tagal, tedious yung process. So, para na maano na rin, mawala yung pressure sa Senate, mawala yung pressure halimbawa kay Sen. dela Rosa, eh siguro, ano yung request natin, ito voluntary, forgo yung kanyang or waive niya yung salaries and allowances,” he said.
Should Dela Rosa agree to the waiver, Ejercito indicated that the ethics complaint filed against the senator — which centers on his continued collection of compensation despite not attending sessions — could be dismissed.
Separately, Ejercito reconvened the Ethics Committee to assess whether the filed complaints met procedural requirements. He said more than half fell short and would be returned to their respective complainants.
