Senator JV Ejercito has this to say about the case of Senator Bato Dela Rosa.
Senate Ethics Committee Chair JV Ejercito says the Senate is not protecting Senator Bato Dela Rosa over his unexplained absence.
An anti-corruption organization led by former Finance Undersecretary Cielo Magno has lodged an ethics complaint against Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, who has been absent from Senate sessions since November 2025.
The formal complaint about the unexplained and prolonged absence of Dela Rosa in the Senate was addressed to Senate Ethics Committee Chair JV Ejercito. A civil society group expressed that Dela Rosa’s ongoing absence from his duties shows not only neglect of responsibility but also misuse of the trust given to him by the Filipino people.
Based on the update, the lodged ethics complaint against the senator faced outright dismissal. According to the Senate, there was nothing in its rules to compel attendance and penalize absences.
To recall, Dela Rosa has been absent since unverified reports surfaced last year claiming that the International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant against him over his alleged role in the Duterte administration’s drug war. He was FPRRD’s top cop during his term as the country’s top chief executive.
In a statement, Ejercito said that any outcome of the complaint against Dela Rosa would be “purely procedural,” citing a “gap in the current Senate rules.”
“Hindi ko po sinasabing gusto kong ma-dismiss outright yung kaso kay Senator Bato dela Rosa. Ang atin po, mase-set aside po iyan kung didinggin natin sa ngayon dahil wala pa sa Senate rules,” said Ejercito, denying that the Senate is protecting Dela Rosa.
He then reiterated that, currently, there is no provision on absenteeism or “no work, no pay,” adding that the panel only has jurisdiction over violations of existing Senate rules and laws.
“Siguro hindi na-anticipate noon na may legislator na hindi papasok, kaya kailangan na natin itong amyendahan bilang buong body para maipasok ito,” Ejercito added.
Dela Rosa’s case isn’t the first. Panfilo Lacson was once absent from the Senate during the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration due to an arrest order, while Antonio Trillanes IV was in detention when he won a Senate seat in 2007. Other senators have also missed sessions in the past because of legal cases.
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