No sanctions will be imposed against Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa despite his months-long absence from work unless an ethics complaint is filed against him, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Thursday.

Lacson’s remarks came amid growing backlash over Dela Rosa’s absence from the Senate since early November, following reports that an alleged International Criminal Court warrant had been issued against him.

Lacson said the Senate could do little about Dela Rosa’s prolonged absence because it cannot sanction a member without an ethics complaint, citing chamber rules.

“In the absence of any complaint filed before the ethics committee, which was constituted only recently, the Senate president or Senate leadership has no basis to sanction him,” he said in an interview.

Even if a complaint is filed, the imposition of penalties — which may include suspension, withholding of salary or expulsion — is not guaranteed, as it would still require approval by the majority.

The ethics committee, chaired by Sen. JV Ejercito, is mandated to hold hearings to determine the merits of a case. Afterward, a committee report containing findings and recommended sanctions must be adopted by the plenary before disciplinary action can be imposed.

“It is up to the ethics committee to make the proper interpretation. A serious offense must be a basis for suspension or expulsion, and such an action must have the votes of two-thirds of senators in plenary,” Lacson said.

Dela Rosa has been in hiding since Ombudsman Boying Remulla announced in November that an ICC warrant was out for him, although neither Malacañang nor the Department of the Interior and Local Government confirmed the existence of such a document.

Lacson stressed that while Dela Rosa has not been physically reporting to work, his office continues to function through his staff. He also claimed that Dela Rosa has been unresponsive even to close colleagues, including Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go.