Newly-formed ethics committee ready to tackle complaints vs. Philippine senators

The Senate assured the public on Tuesday that the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, chaired by Senator JV Ejercito, would begin its work as soon as possible now that its membership is completed.

The chamber recently elected Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan as vice chairperson of the committee, with Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros and Senator Erwin Tulfo chosen as members.

Senate leaders said that with the officer and members now in place, the Committee on Ethics and Privileges will first review the committee rules adopted in the previous Congress before proceeding to schedule its organizational meeting.

Ejercito said they are moving forward with utmost respect for Senate's established processes, rules, and institutional traditions, amid criticism alleging his gross neglect of duty.

Speaking on a matter of privilege, Ejercito said, “Since the membership has been completed yesterday, we are ready to furnish all members with the proposed draft rules of the committee for their comments and possible additional inputs.”

He added that preparations are underway for the committee’s organizational meeting next week, where the rules will be formally discussed and adopted.

“We plan to do this with utmost respect for the processes, established rules, and traditions of this institution, in faithful fulfillment of our mandate, without any gross neglect of our duty,” he said.

“Sa kasalukuyang estado ng Committee on Ethics, ang maximum na puwede nitong gawin ay tumanggap ng complaint na maaaring sa paningin ng ilan ay minimal.”

“Binabasa at pinag-aaralan natin ang mga complaints na ating natanggap, at bibigyan ng kaukulang aksyon sa sandaling legal nang makapagsagawa ng mga pagdinig ang Committee on Ethics,” he said.

Several ethics complaints involving members of the Senate have been filed over the past year, although most remain pending action due to delays in the full constitution of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

The earliest reported complaint was filed on August 28, 2025, when a group of lawyers lodged an ethics complaint against Hontiveros, one of the new members of the ethics committee.

The complainants accused Hontiveros of alleged misconduct during a Senate investigation, claiming actions that the lawyers said could amount to witness tampering. The senator has denied the allegations.

The complaint has yet to be taken up by the ethics committee.

On October 2, 2025, an ethics complaint was filed against Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero by lawyer Marvin Aceron.

The complaint questioned a ₱30-million campaign donation Escudero allegedly received during the 2022 elections from an individual linked to a government contractor.

Aceron pointed to a possible conflict of interest and conduct unbecoming of a senator. This complaint also remains pending and has not been formally heard.

The handling of Aceron's complaint against Escudero later became the subject of another ethics case.

In January 2026, Aceron filed a separate ethics complaint against Ejercito, the chairman of the Senate ethics committee.

Aceron accused Ejercito of gross neglect of duty for allegedly failing to act on the Escudero complaint for several months.

However, Ejercito said procedural and institutional delays prevented earlier action on the case.

-Paraluman News