ISTANBUL

The head of the Philippines Senate announced Monday that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will start in July.

The impeachment court will assemble on June 2, with the trial set for July, according to Francis Escudero, as reported by the Philippine News Agency.

He denied that the legislature has been slowing down the process on purpose, saying that lawmakers can’t hold trials when not in session.

Sara Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, was impeached last week when more than two-thirds of the members of parliament signed a petition to oust her.

Following the vote, the impeachment petition was submitted to the Senate for a trial that could result in Duterte being barred from holding public office.

Duterte has been accused of misusing funds when she led the country’s Education Department.

The petition came amid a feud in which Duterte accused President Ferdinand Marcos Junior of wanting her dead, alleging that he sees her as the "biggest threat" to his hopes of reelection in 2028.

Marcos and Duterte were running mates in the 2022 elections, winning a six-year term together.

However, the alliance has been upended in recent months, leading Duterte to resign last June from Marcos' Cabinet, where she held the education portfolio.