Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was nowhere to be found on the opening day of the bicameral conference committee (bicam) hearing on the proposed 2026 national budget — and no one seemed to know why.
Senate Finance Committee chair Sherwin Gatchalian said he tried, more than once, to reach the former police chief.
But every call went unanswered.
“I called him several times, but his phone cannot be reached,” Gatchalian told reporters, when asked about Dela Rosa’s absence as lawmakers worked to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the proposed ₱6.793 trillion national budget.
Dela Rosa, a vice chair of the Senate finance committee, is one of the senators officially designated to represent the upper chamber in the bicameral panel.
Yet on Day 1 of the hearing, his seat remained empty.
Even more concerning, Gatchalian said there was no word from Dela Rosa’s office.
“Wala naman sinabi. Walang pasabi,” he said.
There was no notice. No explanation.
Still, Gatchalian expressed hope that the senator would show up when the bicam hearing resumes on Sunday afternoon.
“Alam naman ng staff niya na ongoing ’yung bicam,” he said.
His staff knows the bicam is ongoing — so hopefully, he arrives.
Despite the no-show, Gatchalian stressed that the work did not stop.
The bicameral conference committee continued its discussions, ironing out disagreements between the two chambers.
“There was no bog down,” he said.
The process moved forward.
For now, Gatchalian said Dela Rosa’s absence does not automatically justify an ethics complaint.
But he noted that there is a proper protocol that should be followed.
According to him, the senator should formally explain his absence by sending a letter to the Senate President.
“That’s the proper way,” Gatchalian said,
especially since Dela Rosa chairs and sits in several committees and subcommittees.
Earlier, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said that critics are free to file an ethics complaint if they want to hold Dela Rosa accountable for his continued absence from Senate sessions.
Dela Rosa has largely stayed out of the public eye since early November.
This followed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s announcement that an alleged arrest order had been issued against the senator in connection with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
His lawyer said the senator has kept a low profile because his “personal safety is at stake.”
A former chief of the Philippine National Police, Dela Rosa was the lead implementer of the previous administration’s controversial anti-illegal drugs campaign.
He also once served as Davao City police chief when former president Rodrigo Duterte was still mayor.
For now, questions linger — not just about his absence, but about when, or if, he will return to the Senate floor.
