MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – An elected member of the Philippine Senate or House of Representatives is expected to attend all regular sessions and committee hearings in accordance with congressional schedule.  Each member of Congress currently receives P204,000 per year as compensation.

Today, the Senate punished Senator Leila De Lima for walking out again from the committee hearing investigating the alleged extra-judicial killings in connection with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

De Lima walked out yesterday because Justice Committee Chair Senator Dick Gordon refused to apologize  for accusing her of hiding the fact that her witness, Edgar Matobato, had faced a kidnapping case.

This was the second time in several weeks that De Lima walked out.  The first was during a privilege speech by her nemesis, Senator Alan Cayetano.

The Senate leadership has had it with De Lima’s walkouts, so it imposed a punishment of salary deduction, equivalent to 5% of the lady senator’s annual salary.  That salary deduction would amount to about P10,000.