Malacañang on Thursday said it would not meddle in the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Twenty-five members of the House of Representatives endorsed the impeachment complaint filed against Sereno on Wednesday.
READ: 25 solons endorse Sereno impeachment
The complainant, lawyer Larry Gadon, filed the verified complaint at the office of the House Secretary General, citing Sereno’s alleged betrayal of public trust, an impeachable offense in the 1987 Constitution, over the Supreme Court’s “whimsical” and “excessive” purchase of the latest model of the Toyota Land Cruiser amounting to P5.1 million.
Gadon also cited Sereno’s alleged failure to declare “exorbitant lawyer’s fees” allegedly amounting to $745,000 or P37 million.
“The Executive branch respects the separation of powers; and being their co-equal, we recognize the exclusive power of the House of Representatives to initiate all cases of impeachment,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
Abella said “a verified complaint for impeachment may be filed by any citizen upon a resolution or endorsement by any member of the House of Representatives.” JE