Opposition solons join calls for Calida to resign

Opposition lawmakers from the House of Representatives on Tuesday joined the call for Solicitor General Jose Calida to resign over the multimillion-peso government contracts bagged by his family's security agency.

In a press conference, Akbayan party-list Representative Tom Villarin said President Rodrigo Duterte should fire Calida and file appropriate charges against him over the controversy he is embroiled in.

"I think the policy should be 'fire and file.' This is a clear violation of the anti-graft act because Calida to his family has pecuniary interest involving multi-million government contracts," he said.

Documents show that Calida's wife, Milagros, serving as chairwoman and president of Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency, Inc. (VISAI), signed a contract with the National Parks Development Committee in June 2017 and another in January 2018 for security services for the Rizal Park and the Paco Park.

The deals cost P10.3 million and P29.2 million, respectively.

Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano revealed that VISAI also won the security services contract for the House of Representatives.

Villarin said it is very obvious that there is corruption in the procurement of the contracts.

"It was President Rodrigo himself who set the standard. He said even a whiff of corruption. But here, it is a heap of cow dung that badly smells. And supposedly Calida should not be a sacred cow," he said.

"The question is: Is Calida securing government or securing the future of his family? I think the latter form of securing is manifest here," he added.

The Office of the Solicitor General has said that Calida had resigned as chairman of VISAI in May 2016, before President Rodrigo Duterte appointed him to his post.

But Albay Representative Edcel Lagman said Calida's resignation as VISAI chairman is not enough.

"The euphemism of a 'resignation' does not detract from Calida’s effective interest in his family enterprise where his influence could seal government accounts," he said.

"This is different from one’s resignation from a corporate position where the corporation is controlled by majority stockholders not related by blood or consanguinity to the resigned official," he added.

Lagman said Calida showed have disallowed his family corporation from securing government contracts.

Alejano, meanwhile, seems unconvinced that there is no conflict of interest, as Malacañang has claimed.

"The issue is kung meron mang negosyo ang iyong pamilya sa government agencies, hindi niyo ba pinag-uusapan yan sa bahay? Pag kumita ba yung negosyo mo galing sa government contract, hindi ka ba kakain? Sino ba ang nakikinabang?" he said.

Calida declined to answer questions on the issue when he visited the Senate on Monday. — BM, GMA News