After going ballistic for the removal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno by filing and pursuing a quo warranto petition against her before the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Jose Calida is now himself facing ouster moves for conflict of interest in the enterprise of his family which cornered multi-million government contracts for security services.

Calida’s Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency, Inc. (VISAI) is family-owned with corporate officials and stockholders coming solely from Calida’s family.

Having financial interest, intervention and/or conflict of interest in government contracts are prohibited under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Calida’s resignation as VISAI chairman and president before he officially assumed the position of solicitor general in 2016 is not enough. In fact, he did not even divest his stock ownership.

The euphemism of a “resignation” does not detract from Calida’s effective interest in his family enterprise where his influence could seal government accounts.

This is different from one’s resignation from a corporate position where the corporation is controlled by majority stockholders not related by blood or consanguinity to the resigned official.

In order to be beyond suspicion like Caesar’s wife, Calida should have disallowed his family corporation from securing government contracts where his influence could have clinched the deals.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN