31 absences out of 58 Senate sessions are not just poor attendance; they are a reminder that in Philippine politics, a seat can remain occupied even when the senator who should fill it rarely shows up.
For Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, absence from the Senate has become difficult to ignore. Lawmaking is not symbolic work. Senators are elected to debate bills, attend hearings, question policies, and vote on legislation. When more than half of the sessions pass without a senator present, representation begins to look hollow. The chair remains filled on paper, but the public voice attached to it disappears from the chamber.
The contrast becomes sharper when looking outside the Senate hall. His public presence through his Facebook account thrives not in Senate debates but in posts filled with Bible verses, religious reflections, nostalgia for former president Rodrigo Duterte, and praise for Sara Duterte.
His Facebook page shows more activity than his Senate seat.
In one statement during discussions on the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte, he said, “I am guided by the Holy Spirit,” while also acknowledging that he is not a lawyer, yet still standing firm on his motion to dismiss the case.
Frankly speaking, faith cannot legislate.
Faith may guide personal conviction, but public office demands more than spiritual assurance. Divine guidance cannot substitute for attendance in hearings, participation in debates, or the responsibility to scrutinize national issues. The Holy Spirit may guide a person’s conscience, but it cannot guide a senator through the duties he fails to physically perform.
His presence has also been visible far from the Senate floor. The senator has traveled to The Hague to visit Rodrigo Duterte. The optics invite uncomfortable questions. A lawmaker elected to legislate in Manila appears willing to make time for visits abroad while Senate sessions continue without him. One cannot help but wonder whether the trips to The Hague are beginning to rival his appearances in the chamber.
The road to The Hague seems easier to find than the path to the Senate chamber.
But the issue stretches beyond one official. The deeper problem lies in the political system that tolerates absentee leadership with little consequence. In a healthy democracy, repeated absence from legislative work would trigger accountability. Instead, it often fades into routine. The salary continues, the position remains secure, and the institution quietly adapts to an empty seat.
Representation does not end at the ballot box. It requires constant presence in the spaces where national decisions are made. Every missed session is a missed opportunity to question policies, protect the public interest, and speak for constituents who cannot enter the chamber themselves.
It makes me ask whether he represents the Dutertes or the Filipino people who voted him into office.
A name like “Bato,” meaning stone, suggests strength and firmness. Yet for a man who claims to be guided by the Holy Spirit, the contrast between words and actions is striking. He preaches faith while ignoring the very halls where laws are made. He travels abroad to pay respects and make appearances, yet the people who elected him to legislate rarely see him. Strength without action is hypocrisy, and firmness without presence is just a rock sitting in place, gathering nothing for the nation.
The country does not need rocks occupying seats. It needs leaders who roll with the work, who speak up when it matters, and who honor the trust placed in them by the people. A Rock That Won’t Roll cannot move the nation forward. We deserve lawmakers who are present, accountable, and active—leaders who legislate, represent, and show up every day, instead of posting Bible verses while their constituents are left voiceless.
