Sen. Erwin Tulfo is moving to impose a “no work, no pay” policy on senators and other top government officials, pointing to the prolonged absence of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa from Senate sessions as the reason for the proposed measure.
Tulfo raised the proposal after dela Rosa stopped attending Senate sessions following reports that the International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant against him.
“Nakakahiya naman na yung mga tao namin o ordinaryong government employees ay walang sweldo kapag absent, pero kami na mga opisyal, maski ilang linggo o buwan na absent, may sweldo?
Dapat pantay-pantay—ordinary employee o high ranking man, no work, no pay ang lahat,” Tulfo said.
The senator argued that government officials who fail to report for work without proper justification should not continue receiving salaries and benefits funded by taxpayers.
The proposed measure would cover senators, members of the House of Representatives of the, cabinet secretaries, department heads, and other senior government officials. Salaries and allowances could be withheld from those found absent without approved leave.
Tulfo’s proposal places renewed focus on dela Rosa’s continued absence from Senate sessions, an issue that has drawn criticism from some sectors and prompted questions about whether elected officials should continue receiving taxpayer-funded compensation while not reporting for work.
Dela Rosa has largely stayed away from Senate sessions in recent months following reports of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in connection with its investigation into the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
The controversy also led to the filing of an ethics complaint by the group Wag Kang KuCorrupt, which argued that dela Rosa’s prolonged absence constituted a failure to perform his duties as an elected official.
Tulfo maintained that the proposal is intended to ensure that elected and appointed officials are held to the same standards imposed on ordinary government employees, whose pay is directly affected by absences from work.
