Calida hits Robredo’s ‘lies,’ says she is ‘confused’

Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER FILE/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo is demeaning the work of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and its commitment to advancing the State’s interest, Solicitor General Jose Calida said in a statement Tuesday.

Calida issued the statement after Robredo accused the OSG of serving the interest of the Marcos family instead of the country after it blocked the settlement deal for martial law victims.

READ: Robredo: OSG seems to be lawyering for the Marcoses

“Her statements are outright lies. She must be confused. Her statements demean and belittle the work the OSG and its lawyers have been doing for decades to recover ill-gotten wealth,” said Calida.

“We have always been committed to advancing the interests of the Republic, and we will continue to do so,” he said adding that it has always been the OSG’s position that the ill-gotten wealth should be litigated before the Sandiganbayan and not before the US courts.

Calida added that participating in the US case would also mean waiving its sovereign immunity.

Previously, the OSG and the Department of Justice rejected the proposed settlement agreement in the New York court case stating that it was grossly disadvantageous to the Republic and illegal under Philippine law. The Republic would get only $4 million from the settlement. Furthermore, the proposed settlement required that the Philippine government grant immunity to Vilma Bautista and move to dismiss the cases against her in the Sandiganbayan.

“The government cannot grant immunity to Vilma Bautista. She is a principal defendant in a case currently pending before the Sandiganbayan. The authority of the PCGG to grant such immunity is limited only to a witness who can provide material and relevant information or testify against a defendant in an ill-gotten wealth case,” Calida said. /cbb