Absent senators voluntarily forgo pay–Win
Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian on Thursday said senators who have been absent because of medical leave, detention or other circumstances have voluntarily agreed not to receive their salaries while away from the Senate.
Gatchalian disclosed that Sen. Loren Legarda has voluntarily waived her salary since taking medical leave on Aug. 3, adding that senators who are detained and those considered “senators-at-large” have likewise chosen not to collect their pay during their absence.
“She filed for medical leave and is not taking her salary. In fact, the senators who are detained and senators-at-large are also not taking their salaries voluntarily,” Gatchalian told reporters in mixed Filipino and English.
Legarda’s medical condition
He said the salaries that are not drawn would be declared as Senate savings and could later be used for other purposes.
Legarda has filed five medical leaves covering Aug. 3 to Aug. 5, Aug. 11 to Aug. 12, Aug. 17 to Aug. 19, and Aug. 24 and Aug. 26, as well as Sept. 1 to Sept. 2.
Gatchalian said he was aware of Legarda’s medical condition but declined to disclose details, saying the matter was personal.
“I wish her well. These kinds of illnesses need to be taken seriously,” he said.
Gatchalian’s disclosure came as questions continued to surround Legarda’s extended absence from the chamber.
The Office of the Ombudsman had earlier described the timing of her leaves as “suspicious,” noting that they came after plunder and graft complaints were filed against her.
Legarda and her son, Rep. Leandro Leviste, were accused of conspiring to secure exclusive government rights over the country’s solar energy resources through legislative and regulatory actions. The Ombudsman said several solar projects associated with the allegations were never delivered.
Detained, at-large
Legarda has not publicly discussed the nature of her illness. But Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said in a radio interview that her medical leave could be related to lung problems.
Apart from Legarda, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are absent from the Senate while facing plunder cases, while Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa remains at large in connection with a crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Gatchalian said all of them had voluntarily chosen not to receive their salaries during their absence, underscoring that the decision was not limited to senators who had been formally suspended or placed on leave.
Estrada was arrested and detained on June 1 after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant in connection with nonbailable plunder and graft charges arising from allegations that he received kickbacks from flood control projects.
He was later placed under a 90-day preventive suspension, as laws governing plunder and graft provide for the suspension of public officials facing criminal prosecution. Estrada has pleaded not guilty.
Nonbailable charge
Before his arrest, Estrada said he would not seek Senate custody or use the institution as a shield from the charges. He also instructed the Senate secretary to put his salary on hold while he clears his name.
Marcoleta, meanwhile, was arrested after surrendering on July 6 in connection with a nonbailable plunder charge stemming from allegations involving P75 million in campaign donations that he allegedly failed to declare. Marcoleta has pleaded not guilty and remains involved in pretrial and bail proceedings.
Dela Rosa returned to hiding in the early hours of May 14, hours after a shooting incident involving Senate security personnel and National Bureau of Investigation agents inside the Senate complex.
He had earlier been placed under Senate protection after resurfacing from an earlier period of hiding amid reports of an ICC arrest warrant. He first disappeared from public view on Nov. 11, 2025.
Gatchalian did not give the total amount of salaries that the absent senators had forgone, nor did he specify when the accumulated amounts would formally be declared as savings.
But he stressed that the arrangement was voluntary, with the senators themselves choosing not to draw compensation while they were unable to perform their regular duties in the chamber.
The issue has drawn renewed attention as the Senate continues to operate with several members absent for markedly different reasons, from medical treatment to detention and evasion of an international arrest warrant.
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