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 lower house in the Philippines impeached Vice President Sara Duterte 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.

The president, Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, whose father in 20 years as a dictatorial president imposed martial law, is facing off against the