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Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian addresses the media, June 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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SENATE PRESIDENT SHERWIN GATCHALIAN

Jekki Pascual

ABS-CBN News

<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/178721274482920260618-senate-sp-sherwin-gatchalian-MT1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian addresses the media, June 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday that senators who frequently do not attend sessions still get their salaries, except for a few.</p><p>At an event organized by the Management Association of the Philippines, one member asked Gatchalian the status of the salaries of so-called absentee senators or those who do not appear at the Senate often.</p><p>Gatchalian said those suspended formally by the government do not get paid, but others who may be either abroad or absent for other reasons still get paid.</p><p>“Those senators who are suspended legally by the Sandiganbayan, they&#x27;re not getting salaries and their operational fund,” Gatchalian said.</p><p>“Those who are at large or who are in different countries, unfortunately wala kaming &#x27;no work, no pay&#x27; mechanism. So it&#x27;s voluntary lang for them na ‘di namin kukunin sweldo namin.’” </p><p>Gatchalian didn’t name anyone. </p><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/30/jinggoy-seeks-bail-in-plunder-case-0835">Sen. Jinggoy Estrada</a> was suspended and detained due to a plunder case tied to flood control projects. <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/14/bail-hearings-for-marcoleta-plunder-case-to-start-on-sept-3-1217">Sen. Rodante Marcoleta</a> was also detained for a separate plunder case over campaign donations. The Sandiganbayan said a hearing on Marcoleta’s preventive suspension was set this week.</p><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/6/pco-probes-accounts-spreading-fake-news-on-dela-rosa-s-arrest-1409">Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa</a>, meanwhile, remains at large. The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant of arrest for him in connection with a crimes against humanity case. </p><p>A few other senators were also reportedly incurred frequent absences in recent weeks for various reasons.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/18/absences-of-senator-judges-may-prompt-senate-court-to-revisit-conviction-threshold-1917">Absences of some senator-judges may prompt Senate court to revisit conviction threshold, prosecution says </a></div><p>Gatchalian noted that there is now a pending bill on a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/4/senate-panel-asks-dela-rosa-to-comment-on-no-work-no-pay-proposal-1328">“no work, no pay” </a>scheme for all government workers, including elected officials.</p><p>“A few senators already filed a bill to create a &#x27;no work, no pay&#x27; law for public servants… not only senators, for congressmen, even councilors, even other elected officials. If you disappear, you don&#x27;t come to work, then you will have no salary,” he added.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LrfE2lX6fvw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday that senators who frequently do not attend sessions still get their salaries, except for a few.</p>

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday that senators who frequently do not attend sessions still get their salaries, except for a few.

Do absent senators get paid? Gatchalian says ‘no work, no pay’ bill now pending

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Do absent senators get paid? Gatchalian says ‘no work, no pay’ bill now pending

Jekki Pascual,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 20, 2026 04:02 PM PHT

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