Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday called on Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to heed public clamor and voluntarily waive his salary and allowances, citing the lawmaker’s continuous absence from the Senate for over five months.
The Senate leader reiterated his suggestion following a similar statement made by Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito on Tuesday.
Ejercito currently chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which is handling a pending complaint against dela Rosa.
“It’s best he do it [as soon as possible] to save the Ethics Committee from deciding for him,” Sotto stated.
Sotto revealed that he had previously reached out to the senator’s camp regarding the matter but received no feedback.
“I suggested that to the daughter, his Chief of Staff, a couple of months ago. No response,” he added.
According to Ejercito, a voluntary waiver of compensation could potentially serve as a basis for the dismissal of the ethics complaint filed against the embattled senator.
Dela Rosa has remained out of the public eye and has failed to attend Senate sessions and committee hearings since November 2025.
His disappearance coincided with reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with his role in the controversial “war on drugs” during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte, who is currently detained in the Netherlands, is facing ICC charges for crimes against humanity due to the high death toll associated with the anti-drug campaign. Dela Rosa served as the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the height of the operations.
The ethics complaint against dela Rosa was formally filed in February by the civil society group “Wag Kang KuCorrupt,” citing his prolonged neglect of official duties.