Sandro Marcos pushes 'no work, no pay' rule for lawmakers

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February 3, 2026 | 12:50pm

MANILA, Philippines — Should members of Congress be subject to a "no work, no pay" rule?

House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos filed House Bill 7432 on Jan. 27, seeking to institutionalize a "no work, no pay" compensation scheme for lawmakers to ensure that public funds are spent only on elected officials who actually perform their duties.

"By mandating that salary and other emoluments be tied to attendance and participation in plenary sessions, committee hearings, and other official functions, the measure promotes transparency, accountability, and integrity in governance," the explanatory note read. 

A lawmaker roughly earns P290,000 to P330,000 a month, excluding allowances. 

If passed, Marcos' measure would require members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to attend plenary sessions and perform their official legislative duties to receive their compensation.

These duties include attending committee hearings in which they are members and participating in official activities. Absences would be deducted from the total salary they are entitled to receive, provided that lawmakers fail to provide a valid reason.

Under the proposal, lawmakers' absences would be excused only for specific reasons, including medically certified illness, official representation duties cleared by chamber leadership, authorized travel or missions, and approved leaves of absence.

However, lawmakers who attend meetings of the Commission on Appointments, the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, or bicameral conference committees would be deemed present, as would those on official missions.

A lawmaker's attendance will be monitored by each chamber’s secretariat, with daily attendance records used to compute compensation. These records will be made publicly accessible to ensure transparency.

The bill provides that any lawmaker found falsifying attendance records or claiming compensation without performing official duties would face disciplinary action, as such acts would constitute misconduct and could result in suspension or expulsion.

The proposal comes in response to prolonged absenteeism among lawmakers, particularly Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who has been absent for almost three months.

Questions over lawmakers' attendance have surfaced since Dela Rosa stopped attending Senate sessions beginning Nov. 11, 2025. His absences have sparked public scrutiny over whether the senator continues to receive his salary.

Last year, several senators said that the chamber does not impose a "no work, no pay" policy, even for members who miss sessions without filing a formal excuse.

Dela Rosa has been skipping Senate sessions and committee hearings since Ombudsman Boying Remulla claimed that an arrest warrant against him has already been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to former president Rodrigo Duterte's crimes against humanity charges. 

Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said on January 27 that the government could consider suspending Dela Rosa's pay but would first need to review the Civil Service Law, particularly as an ethics complaint against him looms. — with reports from Jean Mangaluz