MANILA, Philippines — The Senate of the 20th Congress resumed session yesterday after the holiday break, but the continued absence of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was a mystery the Senate leadership has yet to resolve.
While Dela Rosa broke his public silence last week when he marked his 64th birthday, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he has not received any formal, personal communication from the senator.
“Hindi pa eh… I have not heard any information from Senator Bato,” Sotto told reporters before opening the session.
Last week, Dela Rosa released a message on his social media accounts and to reporters, saying he remains “alive and well” and was waiting for what he called a genuine search for justice to prevail, stressing that any legal reckoning should take place in Philippine courts and before Filipinos.
Dela Rosa had reportedly been carrying out his duties remotely, through most of his staff at the Senate.
Despite his absence, Dela Rosa was able to sign the so-called minority report related to the flood control controversy, which further confounded Sotto.
Asked directly if Dela Rosa had reached out or made his presence known since the break, Sotto replied: “Hindi pa (Not yet).”
Dela Rosa has gone missing ever since reports of an International Criminal Court warrant against him surfaced last year over the government’s anti-drug war under former president Rodrigo Duterte, which he oversaw as then national police chief.
His absence has been drawing criticism from the public, who insist that he report to work.
‘House Book’ app
The House of Representatives yesterday announced the development of the “House Book” app that will serve as a key component of the chamber’s shift to “blockchain-enabled, fully digital processes” for transactions in the government.
Speaking at the resumption of the House session, Speaker Faustino Dy III said digitalization is central to restoring public trust and ensuring openness in government as they intend to make “congressional work more transparent, accessible and accountable to the public.”
“It is about time that we strengthen our moves against bureaucratic corruption. It’s high time that we create a system that will give us a transparent way of dealing with public funds and along the way, restore the trust of the people in our government,” he said.
The congressman from Isabela’s sixth district said the House is working closely with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to introduce blockchain technology that will allow public access to congressional processes and documents.
“This message is clear: we don’t hide anything, we don’t engage in cover-ups and we are open to public scrutiny,” the Speaker added.
The senior administration stalwart likewise revealed that discussions with DICT Secretary Henry Aguda have already progressed toward the development of a dedicated House application called the “House Book.”
“With this app, House members and staff will be able to monitor committee roll calls, track the number of votes and manage the huge volume of documents, among others,” explained Dy. “The goal is a fully digital and paperless Congress that is faster and more efficient.”
The Speaker said these reforms are part of a long-term institutional transformation of the House. “These are only the initial steps toward a House that is transparent, accountable and worthy of the people’s trust.” — Delon Porcalla
