MANILA - Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno filed a manifestation with the Supreme Court on Friday objecting to a condition set in the guidelines for the conduct of oral arguments on a petition seeking to remove her from office.

Sereno said the condition compelling her to "expressly acknowledge" the high court’s jurisdiction over the relief she sought in her comment on Solicitor General Jose Calida's quo warranto petition would in effect “be abandoning the jurisdictional objections” she raised in the said comment.

Calida had filed the petition to nullify Sereno's appointment, citing her alleged failure to fully disclose her wealth before applying for the chief magistrate post in 2012.

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Sereno, the country's first female Chief Justice, had urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the Solicitor General's petition, arguing that she could only be removed via impeachment.

Magistrates of the high court, however, decided to hear the case in oral arguments on Calida's plea on April 10 in Baguio City.

Sereno was ordered to attend the proceedings, a request the chief magistrate would heed, according to her spokesperson.

• Sereno to attend oral arguments on quo warranto plea

The chief magistrate, who used to lead oral arguments at the High Court, also pointed out that this would be the first conduct of the proceeding preconditioned on the "'express acknowledgment’ of the jurisdiction of the court by a party who is precisely objecting to the jurisdiction of the court."

Sereno, who is facing a separate impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives, said she would have been willing to appear at the hearing if not for the above-mentioned condition.

In her manifestation, she agreed to the other conditions set by the High Court: for her to personally appear and testify under oath, and affirm and verify the veracity of her allegations in her comment filed by her lawyers.

The Supreme Court subsequently amended its advisory by removing the condition objected to by Sereno, in order for the oral arguments to push through.

It would be the first time for a sitting Chief Justice to appear in oral arguments as a respondent.