Ejercito urges dela Rosa to reflect, waive salary

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Sen. JV Ejercito on Friday urged Sen. Ronald dela Rosa to reflect and seek discernment, after the senator dropped out of public view following his reported departure from the Senate while under protective custody.

“I hope he prays hard for discernment on what to do next. We will just pray for him also that he will make the right decision,” Ejercito said in an interview with local media on Friday, May 15.

Dela Rosa resurfaced at the Senate on May 11 after an absence of about six months, appearing ahead of a leadership change that removed Senate President Vicente Sotto III and installed Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate president.

Amid tensions tied to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant linked to the Duterte-era drug war and a shooting incident inside the Senate complex, dela Rosa reportedly left the Senate building in the early hours of May 14.

The unfolding episode comes as former President Rodrigo Duterte remains in ICC custody in The Hague over the same anti-drug campaign, in which dela Rosa served as Philippine National Police chief and chief implementer.

With dela Rosa’s whereabouts still unverified, Ejercito said the senator should voluntarily waive his salary and allowances if he continues to miss Senate sessions.

“He should give up his salary because he hasn’t been reporting to work. It’s only fair. In ordinary employment, there is no work, no pay,” he said.

Ejercito also said the Senate leadership must investigate both the shooting incident inside Senate premises and dela Rosa’s departure.

“It is sad that this has happened to our institution. There should be an investigation into what really transpired. So many events are unfolding — leadership changes, impeachment discussions,” he said.

Despite the turmoil, Ejercito urged the public not to lose trust in the Senate.

“They should not lose hope in the Senate, it is the last bastion of democracy. Unfortunately, these present events have tarnished [us]. I am hoping that they will show that the Senate will still be there as the one that will fight for the interests of people,” he said.

Ejercito, who abstained from voting during the leadership change, said he was offered the position of majority leader under Cayetano but declined the post, citing his previous role as deputy majority leader under Sotto.

“I politely declined. It would be disrespectful if I declined and then I will vote for the other side. Anyway, they got the numbers so I chose to abstain and remain an independent member,” he said.

He said remaining independent would let him focus on his legislative priorities, and that accepting the post could create the impression that he had “betrayed” the previous leadership.

“It is still very tempting to say yes to the offer of the new leadership. If I am greedy and ambitious I would have accepted it but I choose my principle […] I have delicadeza,” he said, invoking the Filipino concept of propriety and restraint expected of those in public office.