THE SUPREME Court (SC) has dismissed for being “moot” the case involving a Senate inquiry on Solicitor General Jose C. Calida and the alleged conflict of interest over government contracts awarded to his family-owned security agency.
In the decision dated Oct. 24, the SC cited that the proposed Senate resolution calling for the inquiry was filed during the previous Congress, which closed on June 4, 2019.
With the 18th Congress already in place, the proposed resolution “automatically ceased, rendering this case moot as ‘the conflicting issue that may be resolved by the court cease[d] to exist’,” reads part of the decision.
The decision also cited that former senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, who filed the resolution, is no longer in the current Congress.
Mr. Trillanes sought a probe to look into government contracts awarded to Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency, Inc, which is owned by Mr. Calida and his family.
Mr. Calida questioned the resolution before the high court, citing that Mr. Trillanes gave out invitations to resource persons, including Mr. Calida, without an approval from the Senate.
The former senator argued that he had the authority being the chair then of the committee on civil service. — Gillian M. Cortez
