The Philippine Senate can only act on the impeachment complaint against Vice-President Sara Duterte on June 2 when Congress resumes after the midterm elections, Senate President Francis Escudero told a briefing on Thursday.

The Philippine Senate president says the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will begin after Congress reopens in June and will be done fairly to avoid a repeat of a 2001 impeachment proceeding that stalled and sparked massive protests that forced a president to step down.

A conviction would hamper the political ambitions of Sara Duterte, who has said that she would like to succeed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Thursday distanced himself from the impeachment of his estranged Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the executive branch of government cannot have a hand in it.

A bill of impeachment will be sent to the upper house, Duterte could face removal and be barred for life from holding office.

Sara Duterte would be the Philippines' second most senior official to face removal from office. The grounds for impeachment were not immediately clear.

The Philippine lower house on Wednesday impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of the country's firebrand former leader, setting the stage for a rare, high-profile trial in the Senate.

Mr Marcos distanced himself from the impeachment of his estranged V-P Sara Duterte. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said on Friday she had been preparing since last year for impeachment and would welcome on her defence team her firebrand father, former President Rodrigo Duterte,

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said Friday that her lawyers were preparing for a legal battle in her upcoming impeachment trial but refused to say if resignation was an option so she could preempt a possible conviction that would bar her from running for president in the future.