By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – The ethics complaint involving Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa may require amendments to Senate rules before it can proceed, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said Wednesday.
An ethics complaint was filed against Dela Rosa over his prolonged absence from Senate duties, with an anti-corruption group citing his months-long nonattendance as a possible “dereliction of duty” and raising accountability concerns.
It also prompted calls for an investigation and possible sanctions, including salary suspension, noting that lawmakers are expected to attend sessions and perform their duties as public officials.
Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics, said the issue of “no work, no pay” is not currently covered under existing rules, which could lead to the dismissal of the complaint if heard without revisions.
“I think so, kailangan talaga… wala po sa rules natin (We really need to amend it… it is not in our rules),” he said in a press briefing.
He said the committee has adopted its rules after a brief delay to accommodate amendments from members, allowing it to formally begin work on pending cases.
Nine complaints have been filed before the Ethics Committee, although Ejercito noted that some may be duplicates or lack proper specificity.
“May nagdoble yata… ‘yung isa kasi all senators eh, hindi specific (Some appear to be duplicates… one even names all senators and is not specific),” he said.
He said the committee would first determine whether the complaints comply with the required form and substance before notifying respondents.
“So, kung mag-prosper… that’s the only time we will call the respondent (Only if the complaint is found to have grounds will we call the respondent),” he said.
Ejercito added that the committee would not disclose the names of respondents until a preliminary inquiry confirms that a complaint has merit, to avoid unfairly implicating individuals.
He said the committee may decide not to proceed to a full hearing depending on the respondent’s explanation or if similar cases are already pending before other bodies or courts.
“Kung merong ongoing case… it can be a basis for us to proceed or not (If there is an ongoing case, it can serve as basis for whether to proceed),” he said.
The committee is set to hold its first hearing following the publication of its rules, where it will begin evaluating the complaints filed before it. (PNA)
