MANILA — The ethics complaint filed against Senator Ronald Dela Rosa over alleged prolonged absence from Senate duties may require amendments to Senate rules before it can move forward, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said.

The complaint, lodged by an anti-corruption group, cited Dela Rosa’s months-long nonattendance as potential “dereliction of duty,” calling for possible sanctions, including salary suspension, citing lawmakers’ responsibility to attend sessions and fulfill their official duties.

Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics, noted that the current rules do not explicitly cover a “no work, no pay” scenario, which could result in dismissal if the complaint is heard without revisions.

“I think so, kailangan talaga… wala po sa rules natin (We really need to amend it… it is not in our rules),” Ejercito said in a briefing.

The committee has nine complaints on record, though some may be duplicates or lack proper specificity. The Ethics Committee will first review whether each complaint meets the required form and substance before notifying respondents.

“Kung mag-prosper… that’s the only time we will call the respondent (Only if the complaint is found to have grounds will we call the respondent),” Ejercito said.

The committee may also choose not to proceed to a full hearing depending on the respondent’s explanation or if similar cases are pending elsewhere. Names of respondents will not be disclosed until a preliminary inquiry confirms merit, to avoid unfairly implicating individuals.

The Ethics Committee is set to hold its first hearing after publishing its amended rules, at which point it will begin evaluating the complaints filed.