Sotto wants rules on senators’ prolonged, unauthorized absences

Vicente “Tito” Sotto III answers questions during a press conference at the Senate in Pasay City on October 6, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/FileMANILA — Saying senators owe it to the public to perform their duties, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III filed Senate Resolution 751 seeking to institutionalize guidelines on the prolonged and unauthorized absence of members of the chamber.

In his measure filed on October 27, Sotto said “absenteeism and neglect of duty is deemed a waste of taxpayer funds and has caused public clamor over the past months.”

Sotto pointed out that there is no provision in the Senate Rules on resolving the issue and said several complaints have been filed about it before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which he chairs.

Sotto stressed the need to revisit the rules to ensure the highest standard of public service, and urged the Committee on Rules to act on this. 

Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said that if Sen. Ronald dela Rosa is arrested, a Philippine court may step in to exercise preliminary jurisdiction over him, even if only in a “ministerial” capacity.

Lacson, in a DZMM TeleRadyo interview, said Dela Rosa should go through proper legal procedures.

“That’s part of due process, kung mahuli siya, dinala sa local court, nasa custody siya ng local court. Puwede siyang dumulog hanggang sa Supreme Court… kasi sila ang final arbiter, mag-interpret ng batas,” Lacson explained.

(That’s part of due process. If he is arrested and brought to a local court, then he is in the custody of the local court. He can bring the matter all the way to the Supreme Court, which is the final arbiter and will interpret the law.)

Lacson mentioned Section 17 of Republic Act 9851, or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

That law says the State shall “exercise jurisdiction over persons…suspected or accused of a crime defined and penalized in this Act, regardless of where the crime is committed, provided, any one of the following conditions is met: The accused is a Filipino citizen; The accused, regardless of citizenship or residence, is present in the Philippines; or The accused has committed the said crime against a Filipino citizen.”

It also says Philippine authorities may, in the interest of justice, “dispense with the investigation or prosecution of a crime punishable under this Act” if another court or international tribunal is already investigating or prosecuting that person for the alleged crime.

They can, instead, “surrender or extradite suspected or accused persons in the Philippines” under extradition laws or treaties.

Lacson stressed Dela Rosa should go through a local court, even if it would be “almost ministerial”.

He pointed out that subpoenas and summonses from international and foreign courts also go through local courts first.

The ICC arrest warrant identified Dela Rosa as a “co-perpetrator” in the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte in relation to the war on drugs.

Dela Rosa has been in hiding since May and is considered a fugitive.