MANILA – A group of House of Representatives leaders on Wednesday rallied behind the proposal of House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos to impose a strict “no work, no pay” policy for members of Congress.
Calling themselves Young Guns, the lawmakers said the measure is a long-overdue reform aimed at protecting taxpayers, strengthening accountability, and restoring public trust in the legislative institution.
Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union said the bill addresses a basic issue of fairness, stressing that public funds must only be released when public service is actually rendered.
“This bill simply ensures that public money is spent only when public work is done,” Ortega said in a statement, noting that compensation in public office should correspond to actual legislative service.
“This is an institutional reform, not a partisan measure. Clear rules that apply to everyone protect both the institution and its members,” he added.
Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, chair of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, said the proposal places lawmakers under the same standards observed by ordinary Filipino workers.
“If this principle applies to workers nationwide, it should apply even more to those crafting the laws,” Adiong said in a separate statement.
“Public service begins with showing up and doing the work. Representation requires presence and participation,” he added.
In another statement, Deputy Speaker Jay Khonghun of Zambales said the bill strengthens discipline within Congress without limiting legitimate legislative work.
“This is not about punishment – it is about professional discipline in lawmaking. Attendance remains a basic measure of responsibility,” he said.
He also underscored the bill’s transparency provisions, which require public access to attendance records.
“When attendance is visible, accountability naturally follows,” Khonghun said.
House Deputy Majority Leader Rodge Gutierrez of 1-Rider Party-list said the proposal is firmly grounded in the Constitution, which allows Congress to regulate its own compensation through legislation.
“This is firmly within Congress’s constitutional authority. The bill protects public funds by ensuring that salary releases are tied to verified legislative work and closes gaps where public funds could be released without public service,” he said.
House Bill 7432, or the No Work, No Pay for Members of Congress Act, seeks to link the salaries and emoluments of senators and representatives to their verified attendance and participation in plenary sessions, committee hearings, and other official legislative functions.
In the bill’s explanatory note, Marcos said the measure responds to public concern over absenteeism, accountability, and the use of taxpayer funds, stressing that compensation should be released only when lawmakers fulfill their duties.
The bill provides safeguards for valid absences, including illness, authorized official travel, and approved legislative missions, while penalizing falsification of attendance records and unauthorized claims for compensation.
The Young Guns said the proposal sends a clear message that public office is a responsibility rooted in service, not entitlement, and that Congress is prepared to hold itself to the standards it expects of the Filipino people. (PNA)
