Calls for accountability over Senator Bato dela Rosa‘s persistent absence at the Senate mounted as the Duterte ally has topped the list of senators with the most absences.
Reports said the lawmaker was the senator with the most absences from plenary sessions during the first regular session of the 20th Congress, logging 31 days of non-attendance.
The absences were from July 28, 2025, to March 18, 2026, in which there was a total of 58 session days.
Senators’ attendance
20th Congress of the Philippines, Senate, First Regular Session | July 28, 2025 to March 18, 2026 | Session No. 58
* Oct. 2025 to Jan. 2026 (maternity leave). No. of roll calls made: 58.
Reports of the elected official’s absence irked Filipinos anew, especially since the “no work, no pay” policy does not apply to the senator.
“We demand accountability. May sanctions sa private sector for excessive absences, hindi ba tayo kikilos for our taxpayer money going down the drain?” an online user commented.
“31 absences. Sa school, bagsak na iyan. Sa trabaho, sisante na iyan. Sa Senate, wala lang?” another user wrote.
“At bakit wala silang ginagawa to correct this??? Wala talagang maasahan sa mga ‘yan. Puro performers lang sa camera,” said another Pinoy.
“Kakilala ko, kailangan mag-leave kasi very delicate ang pregnancy niya. Ayun, wala syang sinasahod… pero ‘yaaaan? Sh*ta!” exclaimed a different user.
“Tatlong absent pa nga lang, FDA [Failure Due to Absences] na agad eh, ta’s itong t*ng*nang ‘to…” wrote another Pinoy.
“Pag umabsent ang karaniwang empleyado, hinihingian ng kung-ano-ano ng amo, kinakaltasan ng suweldo. Kapag umabsent nang matagal ang Senador, nakukuha pa rin niya nang buo ang suweldo. Hindi makatarungan ito dahil ang karaniwang tao ang nagpapasuweldo sa mga politiko,” writer Jerry Grácio said.
“Dapat kaltasan ng suweldo ang mga Senador at Congressmen tuwing aabsent sila sa session. Hirap na hirap tayo, dami pang walang bitaw na politiko. Manawagan tayo na huwag nang pasuwelduhin si Bato,” he added.
Last January, Senate President Tito Sotto said Dela Rosa’s office was still functioning despite the latter’s absence.
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The absentee
Dela Rosa has not been seen in the upper chamber since Nov. 11, 2025, after Ombudsman Boying Remulla alleged that the International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant against him.
The ICC Office of the Prosecutor later identified the senator as one of former president Rodrigo Duterte‘s co-perpetrators in his alleged crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder.
Dela Rosa was the chief of the Philippine National Police at the height of the Duterte administration’s bloody “War on Drugs.”
As the top cop before, he implemented the operation and was the reported architect of the bloody initiative, with the country seeing extrajudicial killings allegedly perpetrated by the police.
Government records said the drug war left over 6,000 dead, but human rights groups estimate it could be as high as 30,000, with many victims being small-time drug dealers and users.
