Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s legal counsel pushed back Wednesday against growing calls for the senator to forfeit his pay, arguing that the clamor represents a minority view rather than a genuine public consensus.
Speaking on True FM’s “Ted Failon and DJ Chacha,” Atty. Israelito Torreon attributed the pressure to dela Rosa’s critics rather than the broader Filipino public. He said he “really doubts” the sentiment reflects what most Filipinos actually want, even if a survey were held to measure it.
The remarks come as the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, chaired by Sen. JV Ejercito, convened April 28 to process pending complaints against dela Rosa — including one filed by anti-corruption group “Wag Kang KuCorrupt” accusing him of dereliction of duty. Ejercito has separately appealed to dela Rosa to voluntarily waive his monthly salary of P237,000 plus allowances while he remains away from the Senate.
Dela Rosa has not appeared in the Senate since November 11, 2025, after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla alleged that the International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with the Duterte administration’s drug war. Official records covering the first regular session of the 20th Congress show he missed 31 of 58 plenary sessions — the highest absence count among all sitting senators.
His prolonged non-attendance has cost him nearly all his committee posts. The Senate has no existing rule to sanction a member specifically for plenary absences, a gap that Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson has said warrants a review of chamber rules.
Torreon’s position on the salary question stands in contrast to signals from within dela Rosa’s own camp. Ejercito said as of April 28 that people close to the senator indicated his camp was already discussing the waiver, with a decision possibly coming the following week.
