Guest of Honor and Speaker’s Profile: Hon. Jose C. Calida

Solicitor General Jose C. Calida finished AB English in Ateneo de Davao. He received his law degree from the Ateneo Law School and took his lawyer’s oath in 1974, before being one of President Duterte’s campaign managers during the 2016 National Elections.

SolGen Calida served as Justice Undersecretary from 2001 to 2004 under the Arroyo administration and as Executive Director of the Dangerous Drugs Board from January to October 2004. He was also the chair and president of the Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency, and a practicing lawyer at the J. Calida and Associates Law Firm.

SolGen Calida was a scholar since high school. When he was in college, he was awarded the first Gold Medal in Philosophy in Ateneo de Davao University. He also topped his Criminal Law Bar Examination by getting 100% and finished Summa Cum Laude in his class at the FBI Academy for a special invitational course during his term as Undersecretary of the Department of Justice.

Since he became a lawyer, SolGen Calida has advocated for the battle against corruption. He founded the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and the Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC). Also, he led the prosecution in the impeachment case against the former President Estrada, revived the Kuratong Baleleng case against Panfilo Lacson, and handled the rebellion case of Nur Misuari and the Abu Sayyaf Cases.

SolGen Calida believes that a strong desire for excellence, preparation, and hard work are his keys to success, anchored on his unwaivering faith in God. He remarks, “I am committed to excellence. The Greek word ‘arete’ or excellence has been my guiding motivation since I was a student. This virtue has served me well in all of my endeavors and I intend to rub off this passion to all the solicitors and employees of OSG.”

As to his secret to maintaining focus, he shares, “I recall reading one story about a sailor. He wanted to navigate his sailboat. So he asked from a veteran sailor on how to go from here to there. He said, ‘Look for a spot there in the horizon, look for that and fix your eyes on that spot. It will help you focus.”

In his spare time, SolGen Calida plays golf or practices shooting. Being a decorated professional sharpshooter, he explained how the craft of sharpshooting works: “Number one, learn the basic principles how to shoot. You should know how a gun operates, the proper way of holding a gun, all the technical things. After all that, you have to practice. And practice and practice until it becomes muscle memory.”

Career Highlights and Advocacies

1974: Associate, Amoguis & Gumban Law Office, Davao City.

1980: Professor, Ateneo de Davao University College of Law; Partner, Rama, Dureza Calida & Abarquez Law Firm, Davao City.

1982: Senior Associate, Santiago Vidanes, Jorge Law Firm, Makati City.

1984: AVP for Legal and Head, Litigation Group, Security Bank, Makati City.

1992: Partner, Fabregas, Calida & Remollo Law Firm, Makati City.

1997: Co-Founder and President of Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption.

1998: Co-Founder and Secretary General, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC)

2000: Member, Prosecution Team of Estrada Impeachment Trial.

2001 to 2004: Department of Justice Undersecretary. Appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, then Undersecretary Jose Calida was in charge of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Witness Protection, Security and Benefits Program, Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, DOJ National Task Force on Terrorism and Internal Security, and DOJ Task Force on Financial Fraud and Money Laundering.

2004: Executive Director of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB). In this capacity, Calida conceptualized and implemented the “Barkada Kontra Droga.” The DDB’s flagship project in drug prevention and control. It was a peer-based anti-drug advocacy program empowering the youth to become change agents in their school and community. He further implemented the “Lakbay Aral Kontra Droga” and “Lakbay Kontra Droga”, which were both aimed at heightening public awareness in the government’s anti-drug policies and programs.

2005 to 2016: Return to private practice. Calida’s stellar career in private law practice spans three decades. Previously, he was the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Prudential Guarantee and Assurance, Inc. (Coyiuto Group of Companies), Chairman and President of Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency, Inc. and General Counsel of Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency Operators, Inc.

2016 to Present: Solicitor General of the Republic of the Philippines. In July 2016, Calida was appointed the 48th Solicitor General by then newly elected President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.