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.

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.

The lower house in the Philippines impeached Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, accusing her of a wide range of crimes that included plotting to assassinate the president, large-scale corruption and failing to strongly denounce China's aggressive actions against Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea.