A pre-trial conference for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte takes place at the Senate as the case moves toward its scheduled trial. Multiple reports say the formal pre-trial proceedings begin on Thursday, June 18, with the House prosecution panel and Duterte’s defense counsel meeting to finalize matters needed to streamline the impeachment process. The pre-trial conference addresses procedural issues rather than deciding guilt or innocence, according to the reports, and is described as the last major step before the senator-judges begin hearing evidence and arguments. One outlet reports that the conference is set to culminate in the start of the trial proper on July 6, though the pre-trial schedule may extend across multiple days depending on how long the parties take to resolve outstanding items. Another report adds that after parties complete the marking of evidence for one impeachment article during the June 18 proceedings, the pre-trial conference resumes on Monday, June 22. Coverage also indicates that three additional impeachment articles remain to be tackled before the trial can begin.