Calida doesn’t have immunity from legislative inquiry—Trillanes

You’re no sacred cow.

Opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday reminded Solicitor General Jose Calida that he was not immune from any Senate investigation after the official asked the Supreme Court to block an inquiry into his family-owned security agency.

“Let me remind Mr. Calida that he is not a sacred cow. He does not have immunity from any legislative inquiry,” the senator said in a statement.

High court petition

Trillanes was reacting to Calida’s petition asking the high tribunal to nullify an invitation sent by the senator’s office asking the head of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to attend a hearing on his family-owned Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency Inc.

The hearing was supposed to have been held on Thursday but was rescheduled.

In the Aug. 1 letter, Trillanes, chair of the Senate civil service committee, invited Calida to appear at the inquiry on the strength of Senate Resolution No. 760 filed by minority senators Trillanes, Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino, Francis Pangilinan and Leila de Lima.

Government contracts

Vigilant won at least 10 government contracts between August 2016 and January 2018 with a total amount of about P150 million, including two contracts with the Department of Justice, of which the OSG is an attached agency.

Calida argued that the invite was “issued in respondent [Trillanes’] sole capacity only or without the authority of the Senate or any of its committees and for serving no legislative purpose.”

The court instructed Trillanes to comment on Calida’s plea within 10 days.

Based on Securities and Exchange Commission records, Calida owns 60 percent of Vigilant, with the rest of the shares held by members of his family.