Heated

— along with any potential motions for reconsideration or judicial review — is already being studied.

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TRO?

Despite petitions filed before the Supreme Court (SC) challenging the validity of the impeachment process, Tongol said the impeachment trial will proceed — unless the high court issues a temporary restraining order (TRO).

"Actually the Senate impeachment court works independently of the SC and other branches of government. So it doesn't need the imprimatur of the SC in performing its power to try and decide the impeachment case," he said.

"In the absence of a TRO, the process will push through. That is not dependent on what the SC says. If a TRO is issued, the Senate impeachment court will decide if they will abide... or they will not abide," Tongol added.

The spokesman added that while the Senate has a history of respecting SC rulings, it has also asserted its independence in past impeachment trials, such as in the cases of former president Joseph Estrada and former chief justice Renato Corona.

The Senate is currently under fire for what legal experts and critics believe as an "intended delay" on the proceedings against Duterte.

Earlier, the impeachment court turned Dela Rosa's motion to dismiss into a motion to return the Articles of Impeachment to the House in a bid to certify that they did not violate the one-year ban when they transmitted the complaint and that the 20th Congress was willing to take on the case.