Public can file ethics complaint against absentee lawmakers, says Sotto

National

WHO watches the watchers in the Senate?

According to Senate President Vicente Sotto III, the answer may be the public itself, which can file ethics complaints against senators for repeated absences and other questionable behavior.

Sotto emphasized in an ambush interview on Tuesday that there are currently no rules preventing senators from receiving their salaries despite continued absences.

“There are no such rules for legislators in any of our rules or even in the Constitution. Maybe if some of our fellow citizens want to question something like this or want to hold a legislator accountable, they should file an ethics complaint — that’s the best remedy,” he said in an Inquirer report.

He added that the Senate does not need to create specific rules on the matter, and he doubted that such a rule could pass. He suggested that citizens who are concerned about senators’ absences should simply file ethics complaints.

Sotto also pointed out that Senator Ronald dela Rosa continues to receive his full salary despite missing sessions, noting that this practice has long been observed in both chambers of Congress.

He explained that many legislators have maintained functional offices even during prolonged absences, citing past cases such as Senators Leila De Lima and Antonio Trillanes, whose offices continued to operate while they were detained.

When asked specifically about dela Rosa’s office, Sotto confirmed it remains operational. He also noted that he has had no personal correspondence with dela Rosa, who was expected to defend the 2026 budget for the Department of National Defense and its attached agencies.

Because of dela Rosa’s absence, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian stepped in to handle the budget presentation.

Dela Rosa has been absent from the Senate since November 10, following reports of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued against him. His legal counsel, Israelito Torreon, earlier said that while they are aware of circulating reports, they have not independently confirmed their accuracy.

The senator faces charges of crimes against humanity related to his role in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.(MyTVCebu)