Baronda joins call to dock pay for absent legislators

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Julienne Baronda has joined calls to institutionalize a “no work, no pay” policy for legislators, saying the proposal needs clear implementing rules to strengthen accountability without disrupting official legislative duties.

Baronda said she has already signified co-authorship of House Bill 7432 filed by House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.

Baronda said the measure should cover not only the House of Representatives but also the Senate.

“It is high time. I am not saying that congressmen are not working, they are working, but we need to have an Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR),” she said in an interview on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Implementing rules and regulations are the guidelines that lay out procedures and standards for enforcing a law.

Baronda clarified that the bill is meant to address habitual absenteeism, not lawmakers who miss plenary sessions because of official duties.

“Maybe what Sandro meant are those that do not really attend in the Congress, or absentee legislators. It is about time to impose a no work, no pay,” she added.

She noted that lawmakers often attend simultaneous committee hearings and official events on session days.

Baronda said valid excuses must be clearly defined, citing that the House has more than 30 committees and hearings may overlap with plenary sessions.

“For example, today we have a session, but I am here because there is an official event. These are matters that can be considered,” Baronda said, on the sidelines of the distribution of Certificate of Lot Award of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

She said a clearer policy could push lawmakers to prioritize plenary sessions and manage schedules more effectively.

“This will open the doors to enjoining everyone to be present in the plenary during session time. Other meetings can be scheduled before the 3 p.m. session so that when important decisions have to be made, all members are there,” she said.

Baronda also pointed to delays in plenary proceedings when sessions are suspended to wait for members attending other meetings to return.

Under Marcos’ proposal, senators and House members would be required to attend plenary sessions, committee hearings (if assigned), and official events to earn their salaries and benefits, which range from PHP 290,000 to PHP 330,000 per month, excluding allowances.

The bill states that absences without valid reasons – such as verified illness, authorized travel, or approved leave – would result in pay deductions for the days missed.

Lawmakers on official missions, including work with the Commission on Appointments or bicameral committees, would be counted as present under the proposal.

The bill also provides that each chamber’s secretariat would publicly track attendance to promote transparency, and that falsifying records could lead to sanctions, including suspension or expulsion.