Guevarra: No need to review contract with security agency owned by Calida family

The Department of Justice (DOJ) does not see any need to review its contract with Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency owned by the family of Solicitor General Jose Calida unless someone will question its validity, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday.

“Unless there is a challenge to the validity of the contracts, there is no need for us to investigate,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.

“For now, I can only presume regularity in the performance of duty,” Guevarra added.

Presumption of regularity means that any action taken by the government is presumed legal unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

“I’m sure that the SolGen can explain his statement. From the viewpoint of the DOJ (Department of Justice), what is important is that all procurement laws, rules and regulations were observed when it entered into these contracts,” Guevarra said.

But in the future, he said the DOJ should exercise more circumspection.

The DOJ is one of several government agencies that entered into a contract with Vigilant.

Calida denied any conflict of interest saying he was not the approving authority for the contracts in question. /muf

READ: No conflict of interest in family firm contracts with gov’t agencies – Calida