00:00Tough talking Senator Ronald De La Rosa, Chief Architect of Upland Double Barrel that resulted in over 6,000 deaths during former President Duterte's illegal drugs war, has completely gone under the radar.
00:14He has simply vanished without a trace with nary a word or whisper even to one of his colleagues in the Senate for being scared stiff over a potential ICC arrest.
00:24His extended absence from work has raised ethical questions of entitled lawmakers receiving pay without showing up for work, as our Luisa Erisbe reports.
00:36Senator Ronald Bato De La Rosa has been absent for about three weeks from committee hearings to budget deliberations.
00:44During the marathon of debates, De La Rosa's seat remained empty.
00:47And even during his supposed sponsorship of the Department of Defense, he did not appear and Senator Sherwin Cachillian took his place as the chair of the Committee on Finance.
00:58But Senate President Vicente Soto III said even if he is absent, De La Rosa still receives his salary.
01:05He explained this has already been allotted in the budget and his staff are still working even without him being present at the office.
01:13If there are people who want to question the absence of De La Rosa, the Senate is open for complaints that may be filed before the Ethics Committee of the Upper Chamber.
01:39There are no rules for legislators in any of our rules or even in the Constitution.
01:47If there are women who want to ask them, they want to ask a legislator to file an Ethics Complain.
01:59It is a great revenge for you.
02:01It doesn't necessarily help for us to come out and amend our rules and say something like that.
02:10While Senate President Pro Temporary Senator Panfilo Laxon had the chance to talk to Senator De La Rosa some two weeks ago,
02:18Laxon said De La Rosa even joked about his absence.
02:21Sa chat group namin, meron kami lahat ng all senators. So I found time na kumustayin lang siya. Sabi ko, kumusta ka na, mag-ingat ka lang, gano'n.
02:33Ang biro niya lang sa akin, sir, i-break ko yung record mo sa pagtatago. Tapos may ha-ha.
02:40Senator Laxon gave a piece of advice to his colleague.
02:43Ang advice ko sa kanya, kung wala siyang intention na mag-surrender, magtago siya mabuti.
02:48Advice ko sa law enforcement, hanapin niyo siya mabuti. Trabaho nila yan eh.
02:52Senator De La Rosa is believed to be absent after information spread that there is already a warrant of arrest issued against him
03:00by the International Criminal Court for a Crimes Against Humanity case.
03:05This is the same case with former President Rodrigo Duterte implicated in the war on drugs during his administration.
03:13De La Rosa has yet to comment on his whereabouts.
03:16But for Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, the government should give the lawmaker an assurance
03:22that there will be due process for him here in the Philippines.
03:26Yung gobyerno, dapat i-assure si Senator Baton na meron proseso.
03:31Kasi kung sasabihin anytime, pwede kang damputin at dalhin sa ibang bansa.
03:37Hindi ko sinasabing option sa lahat yun na huwag magpakita.
03:44But when your life or liberty is threatened, you really think of option.
03:48So yun yung option niya.
03:49Luisa Erispe from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.
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