Manila Bulletin
Calida says he shouldn't be blamed for dismissal of P1-B civil case vs Marcoses, Tantocos
Calida says he shouldn't be blamed for dismissal of P1-B civil case vs Marcoses, Tantocos
Calida says he shouldn't be blamed for dismissal of P1-B civil case vs Marcoses, Tantocos
Published Oct 12, 2019 09:23 am
By Jeffrey Damicog
Solicitor General Jose Calida maintained that he should not be blamed for the decision of the Sandiganbayan to dismiss the P1.052 billion civil case against Rustan’s Group of Companies (RGC) owners Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. and Gliceria Tantoco as well as the late President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda.
Solicitor General
Jose Calida
(Czar Dancel / MANILA BULLETIN) The Solicitor General made the statement in response to allegations made by former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) commissioner Ruben Carranza who said that Calida should not have been allowed to handle the case for being a known supporter of the Marcos family. “I categorically deny that I interfered in that case or in any ill-gotten wealth case involving the Marcoses and their cronies,” Calida said in a statement. “I have never personally appeared as solicitor general in any case before the Sandiganbayan,” he pointed out. With this, Calida chided Carranza for not having studied the case records nor read the Sandiganbayan decision when the former PCGG commissioner made the statements against the solicitor general. “It is impossible for me have had any hand in the case. The litigation began in 1987 and ended in 2010, long before my appointment as solicitor general in 2016,” Calida stated. Though he admitted voting for former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in the past elections, Calida assured he was not a “Marcos loyalist.” “As solicitor general, I am loyal to the Constitution and the rule of law,” he said. Meanwhile, Calida believes Carranza made the statements to cover up for the failures of the former PCGG official. The Solicitor General discovered that during Carranza’s stint as PCGG commissioner from 2001 to 2004 that there were 92 criminal cases that were dismissed by the Sandiganbayan out of the 111 filed by the PCGG. Calida added Carranza cannot boast of the PCGG’s successful recovery of $680 million in ill-gotten assets of the Marcos family in banks in Switzerland since Carranza never had any part in the trial of this particular case. “It appears that he is all hot air. I challenge him to a legal combat to see who is the better litigator,” Calida said.
Solicitor GeneralJose Calida
(Czar Dancel / MANILA BULLETIN) The Solicitor General made the statement in response to allegations made by former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) commissioner Ruben Carranza who said that Calida should not have been allowed to handle the case for being a known supporter of the Marcos family. “I categorically deny that I interfered in that case or in any ill-gotten wealth case involving the Marcoses and their cronies,” Calida said in a statement. “I have never personally appeared as solicitor general in any case before the Sandiganbayan,” he pointed out. With this, Calida chided Carranza for not having studied the case records nor read the Sandiganbayan decision when the former PCGG commissioner made the statements against the solicitor general. “It is impossible for me have had any hand in the case. The litigation began in 1987 and ended in 2010, long before my appointment as solicitor general in 2016,” Calida stated. Though he admitted voting for former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in the past elections, Calida assured he was not a “Marcos loyalist.” “As solicitor general, I am loyal to the Constitution and the rule of law,” he said. Meanwhile, Calida believes Carranza made the statements to cover up for the failures of the former PCGG official. The Solicitor General discovered that during Carranza’s stint as PCGG commissioner from 2001 to 2004 that there were 92 criminal cases that were dismissed by the Sandiganbayan out of the 111 filed by the PCGG. Calida added Carranza cannot boast of the PCGG’s successful recovery of $680 million in ill-gotten assets of the Marcos family in banks in Switzerland since Carranza never had any part in the trial of this particular case. “It appears that he is all hot air. I challenge him to a legal combat to see who is the better litigator,” Calida said.