HONTIVEROS CHALLENGES DUTERTE: FIRE AND FILE CASES VS. CALIDA

Saying that firing public officials accused of corruption is not enough, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday challenged President Rodrigo Duterte to sack Solicitor General Jose Calida and file the appropriate charges against him.

Hontiveros issued the statement following reports that Calida's family-owned security business bagged P 150 million worth of government contracts.

"I challenge President Duterte to prove his anti-corruption rhetoric. I challenge him to not only fire Mr. Calida but also to file the necessary charges against him. After all, if he can order the Solicitor General to file a case against the Supreme Court Chief Justice, he can do the same to the former. Otherwise, his anti-corruption stance is pure hogwash," Hontiveros said.

The opposition Senator said that the removal of Calida and the filing of cases against him are important steps in "rebuilding the country's damaged institutions."

"After the removal of Mr. Vitaliano Aguirre from the Department of Justice, Mr. Calida's dismissal is most appropriate. We cannot tolerate public officials who coddle and give special treatments to drug lords and high-profile criminals, or in Mr. Calida's case, a solicitor General who lawyers for plunderers like pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and the Marcoses, and a Solicitor General whose personal businesses profit from the government " Hontiveros stressed.

Hontiveros also slammed Duterte's "fire and recycle policy" or the President's practice of reappointing people he fired after being accused of anomalies in the government.

"Stop recycling corruption"

"Recycling corrupt public officials is recycling corruption. Corrupt public officers, who have been shielded from calls of transparency and accountability, are non-recyclable," Hontiveros said.

"President Duterte should stop recycling corruption," Hontiveros concluded.