Manila: The palace said it is not behind moves to impeach Supreme Court Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno noting that it is beyond its authority to dictate the affairs of a separate branch of government.

“The executive branch respects the separation of powers; and being their co-equal, we recognise the exclusive power of the House of Representatives to initiate all cases of impeachment,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said yesterday.

On Wednesday, 25 members of the House of Representatives endorsed an impeachment complaint filed against Sereno. The plaint had been seen as an effort to replace Sereno with a Supreme Court Chief that would be more friendly and acceptable to the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In order of an impeachment complaint to be taken up to the committee level, one third of the membership of the House of Representatives must endorse it for verification. The Lower Chamber has a total of 297 members

While the complaint still needs the endorsement of 99 Congressmen, Gadon, the proponent of the impeachment plaint, is confident they could get the numbers necessary to give impetus to the constitutional ouster of Sereno and bring it to the Senate level.

“As of 6.30pm (Wednesday) my complaint against Chief Justice Sereno for impeachment has been received by the House of Representatives Office of the Secretary-General. In so short a time, we were able to gather 25 endorsers,” said Gadon after filing the complaint.

Gadon said the grounds for calling for the impeachment of Sereno are “culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, other high crimes and betrayal of public trust.”

Sereno allegedly committed corruption when she supposedly “used public funds to finance her extravagant and lavish lifestyle by ordering the purchase of a pricey Toyota Land Cruiser as her personal vehicle; stayed in opulent hotels when attending conferences, and flying on business or first class together with her staff and security.

She was also alleged to have tagged along a huge entourage of lawyers whenever she went on trips abroad.

With regards to alleged “acts constituting high crimes,” Gadon alleged that she obstructed justice by ordering the Judges not to issue warrants of arrest against Senator Leila De Lima

The impeachment complaint filed against Sereno is the second filed in a month, after a similar plaint against the Supreme Court Chief Justice was rejected because no one endorsed it.

It can be recalled that in 2011 then Chief Justice Renato Corona was ousted by an impeachment tribunal consisting of Senate and select members of the House of Representatives on grounds that he wrongfully declared his assets, liabilities and net worth as required by law.

Corona had been appointed by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2010 and was accused of being beholden to the latter.

Then President Benigno Aquino III had openly called for the ouster of Corona.