Marilyn Cahatol

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 960px; display: block;" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17796818920821779681887924.jpeg" style="width: 960px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align: left;">Senator Bato dela Rosa. <em>Senate PRIB/File&nbsp;</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA &mdash; The Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) on Monday urged the Senate not to tolerate the &ldquo;betrayal&rdquo; and &ldquo;negligence&rdquo; of Sen. Ronald &ldquo;Bato&rdquo; Dela Rosa, in relation to his absences while still being paid a monthly salary of around P300,000.&nbsp;</p><p>Dela Rosa had been absent from Senate proceedings for six months since November last year, after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant against him. He briefly returned on May 11, but left again a few days later.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/bato-dela-rosa-returns-to-senate-after-months-long-absence-1522">Bato dela Rosa returns to Senate after months-long absence</a></div><p>The coalition of incumbent mayors stressed that ordinary Filipinos are subject to a &ldquo;no work, no pay&rdquo; policy, and that Dela Rosa&rsquo;s actions in normal circumstances would have led to either suspension or termination of contract.</p><p>&ldquo;Bakit tila iba ang batas kapag makapangyarihang opisyal ang sangkot?&rdquo; the coalition said.</p><p>Senators receive a monthly salary of around P300,000, equating to P1.8 million for the six months Dela Rosa did not show up.</p><p>&ldquo;Hindi katanggap-tanggap ang ganitong klase ng pagtalikod at pagpapabaya para sa atin na pinapasahod ng taumbayan, habang araw-araw na humaharap ang ating mga mamamayan sa kahirapan, mataas na presyo ng bilihin, at krisis sa kabuhayan,&rdquo; M4GG said.&nbsp;</p><p>It called Dela Rosa&rsquo;s actions an &ldquo;insult&rdquo; to the millions of Filipinos struggling to make ends meet for themselves and their families every day.</p><div><br></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FM4GGPH%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02yV6LmLp6B89Dh1VKRzDpVm4tstC3L4Ei5c43pcZCWybQX36AogSou3yQ6rav7EPkl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="543" style="border:none;overflow:hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br></div><p>On May 11, Dela Rosa resurfaced at the Senate to cast his vote to elect new Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, ousting Sen. Vicente &ldquo;Tito&rdquo; Sotto III who previously suggested that<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/6/-bato-asked-to-forego-salary-while-absent-from-senate-1609">&nbsp;Dela Rosa forego his salary while he was absent.</a></p><p>Dela Rosa, accused of being a co-perpetrator of former president Rodrigo Duterte&rsquo;s alleged crimes against humanity, was put under Senate protective custody, but managed to discreetly<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/bato-has-left-senate-premises-1107">&nbsp;leave the Senate premises</a> early morning of May 14, hours after chaos erupted following a series of gunshots. His whereabouts remain unknown since then.&nbsp;</p><p>M4GG said: &ldquo;Nananawagan kami sa ating mga senador: ang Senado ay hindi dapat maging kanlungan ng absenteeism at pagtatakipan.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Hindi dapat pinoprotektahan ang isang halal na opisyal na umiiwas sa kanyang mga responsibilidad habang patuloy na tumatanggap ng sahod mula sa taumbayan,&rdquo; it added.</p><p>Dela Rosa has said he did not accept his salary during his six-month absence, and kept them in a sealed envelope.&nbsp;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/24/nbi-teams-monitoring-3-areas-bato-dela-rosa-might-be-hiding-1343">NBI teams monitoring 3 areas Bato Dela Rosa might be hiding</a></div><p>Justice Secretary Frederick Vida, who called Dela Rosa a &quot;fugitive from justice,&quot; said the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation have been <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/21/vida-pnp-nbi-now-tasked-to-effect-arrest-of-dela-rosa-1242">&ldquo;tasked to effect [his] arrest.&quot;</a></p><div><br></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X54jeG2qNEY?si=7O1Swd6-Wv9I-aky" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br></div>

<p>The mayors called Sen. Dela Rosa’s actions an “insult” to the millions of Filipinos struggling to make ends meet for themselves and their families every day.</p>

The mayors called Sen. Dela Rosa’s actions an “insult” to the millions of Filipinos struggling to make ends meet for themselves and their families every day.

'Unacceptable': Nearly 60 PH mayors urge Senate not to tolerate Bato’s 'absenteeism'

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'Unacceptable': Nearly 60 PH mayors urge Senate not to tolerate Bato’s 'absenteeism'

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 25, 2026 12:39 PM PHT

Read More:

Mayors for Good Governance

Bato Dela Rosa

Senate

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