Senators on leave, at large, and detained have declined pay: Gatchalian
Senators who are currently on leave, at large, and detained have declined to receive their salaries, according to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
In an interview with the media on Thursday, Aug. 27, Gatchalian addressed Sen. Loren Legarda's absence from work since she flew to France on Aug. 2, per the National Bureau of Investigation.
"Nag-file siya ng medical leave. Hindi rin niya kinukuha 'yung kanyang suweldo," Gatchalian said. "In fact, 'yung mga senators na naka-detain and 'yung senators at large, hindi rin nila kinukuha 'yung suweldo nila voluntarily."
According to Gatchalian, Legarda has not been taking her salary since she left the country.
"N'ung nag-file siya ng medical leave, hindi niya na tinanggap 'yung suweldo niya," the Senate President said, adding he knew about Legarda's illness even before she left.
"Alam ko 'yung kanyang sakit, even prior to this [medical leave]. We're personal friends, as well. Nasabi niya 'yun, na meron siyang sakit na seryoso," Gatchalian said.
He has since instructed the accounting and payroll departments to suspend Legarda's salary.
Legarda and her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, are the subjects of an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman over their P10 billion solar power congressional franchise. Leviste left the country on the same day as his mother, though on a separate flight. Both remain abroad.
On Aug. 19, the Ombudsman flagged her repeated extensions of travel authority as "quite suspicious," after which Legarda issued a statement, saying, "Once the facts come out, we will be vindicated."
Aside from Legarda, senators Bato dela Rosa, Jinggoy Estrada, and Rodante Marcoleta have also been absent from the Senate.
Dela Rosa quietly left the Senate building in the early hours of May 14, three days after holing up in his office following alleged attempts by NBI personnel to serve him an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over his alleged involvement in former president Rodrigo Duterte's bloody drug war. He is currently at large.
Estrada surrendered to authorities on June 1 after the Sandiganbayan 5th Division issued a warrant for his arrest over a non-bailable plunder case. He is currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, Quezon City.
Marcoleta surrendered on July 6 following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him by the Sandiganbayan 3rd Division for non-bailable plunder charges. He is detained in the same jail as Estrada.
The Congress of the Philippines currently has no official no-work-no-pay scheme in place, though a bill was filed in the House of Representatives on Feb. 3 seeking to implement the policy.
