Sereno supporter urges Calida to bare SALNs

A supporter of ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday called on Solicitor General Jose Calida to reveal his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for the past three years.

Jocelyn Marie Acosta sent a two-page letter to Calida’s office urging for the release of his SALNs to show if he had correctly declared his family’s ownership of a security firm.

According to Acosta, Calida owned about 60 percent of the capital stock of Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency, Inc. (VISAI), while the rest was owned by members of his family.

VISAI, Acosta said, was the security firm tapped by four government agencies: the National Economic Development Authority, the National Anti-Poverty Commission, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and the National Parks Development Corporation.

Acosta stressed that Calida’s reported ownership of VISAI “shows a clear conflict of interest.”

“We hereby file a demand for your SALNs for the years 2016, 2017 ad 2018 so the people may see that you have accurately declared your family’s ownership of VISAI, among other assets,” Acosta said in her letter.

READ: Sereno supporters sue Calida for graft, malversation, misconduct

This was the basis of Acosta’s complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman which sought for an investigation against Calida for possible violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.

“Being the architect of the Quo Warranto petition, you now have the burden of showing to the people that you have more integrity than the Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno,” she stressed.

INQUIRER.net tried to get the side of Calida but has yet to respond to messages sent. /muf