Senator Loren Legarda. Photo courtesy of Loren Legarda/Facebook.
Senator Loren Legarda has voluntarily stopped collecting her salary since going on medical leave on Aug. 3, Senate President Win Gatchalian said Thursday.
“Nagpa-file siya ng medical leave at hindi niya rin kinukuha yung kaniyang sweldo. In fact, yung mga senators na naka-detain and senators-at-large hindi rin nila kinukuha sweldo nila voluntarily,” Gatchalian told reporters.
Legarda has been filing leave every Monday to Wednesday since taking medical leave, according to Gatchalian.
He said the salaries not collected by Legarda and other absent senators would be treated as Senate savings and could be used for other purposes.
Gatchalian said he was aware of Legarda’s medical condition but declined to disclose details, describing the matter as personal.
“I wish her well. Yung mga ganitong sakit kailangan din seryosohin talaga,” he said.
Aside from Legarda, Sens. Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada have also been absent while facing plunder charges, while Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa remains at large in connection with a crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding his alleged involvement in the drug war campaign during the last administration.
Gatchalian also said he had been monitoring Estrada’s condition at the New Quezon City Jail after the senator underwent a knee X-ray procedure at Cardinal Santos Medical Center following a reported meniscus tear.