The Senate of the Philippines clarified that it has no intention of protecting Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa, who is facing a complaint before the Senate Committee on Ethics.

The case is currently considered procedural, as existing Senate rules do not provide for the suspension of a senator’s salary pending an ethics investigation.

Senate Committee on Ethics Chairman JV Ejercito explained that the current “No work, no pay” principle is not included in the Senate’s rules, and past legislators did not anticipate situations like this.

While the rules may lead to a potential dismissal of the case, the complainants’ concerns can still be addressed if the rules are amended in the future.

The situation underscores procedural limitations in the Senate’s existing framework for handling ethics cases, highlighting the need for possible reforms to ensure accountability without compromising due process.