Calida skips Senate budget hearing

Solicitor General Jose Calida was a no show at a budget hearing in the Senate on Wednesday, which was attended by his nemesis, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Calida’s office is under the office of the Department of Justice (DoJ), which presented its budget proposal for 2019 before the Senate committee on finance.

“Where is the SolGen?” Trillanes asked.

Calida’s assistant, Henry Angeles, took the microphone and explained the SolGen’s absence in the hearing.

“I was told yesterday that the SolGen was being asked to be on standby for a meeting with the OP (Office of the President) so he asked me to attend, your honor,” Angeles said.

“Well, kung nandito sya, papa increase-an ko rin sana sila e (Well, if he is here I would have also requested a budget increase for them),” Trillanes said in jest.

Trillanes and Calida have traded barbs on a number of issues, which started when the senator initiated a probe on the security agency owned by the SolGen’s family.

The senator also believes Calida was behind his missing application for amnesty, which was used by President Rodrigo Duterte as one of the bases for revoking the amnesty granted to him by the previous administration.

READ: Trillanes thinks Calida is behind revocation of amnesty granted to him

Calida, however, denied the allegations and even threatened to file a libel case against the senator. /ee

READ: Calida demands apology from Trillanes for calling him a ‘thief

READ: Trillanes refuses to say sorry to Calida