Sandra Cam. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO
Detained opposition Sen. Leila de Lima on Sunday challenged President Rodrigo Duterte to fire former whistleblower Sandra Cam, who allegedly amassed more than P500 million in unexplained wealth after he appointed her to the board of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
鈥淣ot lifting a finger vis-a-vis Sandra Cam鈥檚 well-known shenanigans should shatter your feigned corruption-loathing image and your ego,鈥� De Lima said in a handwritten statement.
鈥淚 dare you, Mr. President, to fire Sandra Cam or at least order a bona fide investigation into her alleged amassing of properties worth hundreds of millions of pesos, including an island,鈥� she said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a whiff or more than 鈥榳hiff of corruption,鈥� isn鈥檛 it?鈥� she said, referring to Mr. Duterte鈥檚 previous warning that he would fire officials he had appointed to government posts even with 鈥渏ust a whiff of corruption.鈥�
Cam vowed to clear her name with the President, dismissing the accusations against her as 鈥減ure lies鈥� and 鈥渂ig bull.鈥� She told De Lima to 鈥渟hut up.鈥�
In a complaint filed in the Office of the Ombudsman, a certain Lino Espinosa Lim Jr. claimed that Cam owned several properties in Masbate province.
Not in SALN
Lim, a resident of Uson town in Masbate, said Cam failed to properly declare her real properties in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) for 2017 and 2018.
Cam allegedly concealed her ownership of the properties, including a lavish resort, by registering them under the names of family members Purisima Martinez, Martin Cam and Marco Cam, according to Lim.
In a letter he filed on March 21 through lawyer Israelito Torreon, Lim asked the Office of the Ombudsman to charge Cam with violations of Republic Act (RA) No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and RA 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Among the properties that Cam supposedly failed to declare in her SALNs were Zandra鈥檚 Beach Resort and Convention Center, and two parcels of land at Barangay Pinamoghaan, Ticao Island, in Masbate鈥檚 San Fernando town.
Neither did Cam declare five parcels of land on Matabao Island in Batuan town, Lim said.
He also questioned her acquisition of these properties, which he said was done shortly after she was appointed to the PCSO board in December 2017.
鈥淪he is thus harboring an unexplained wealth considering the sheer number and the great value of the real properties that she acquired either in her own name or in other persons鈥� names, the values of which are manifestly out of proportion to her salary as a public official,鈥� the complaint said.
Eviction of residents
Cam also allegedly used her influence on police authorities to evict the previous residents of the island.
鈥淚 will never steal even a single penny from the government because my advocacy is good governance,鈥� she told the Inquirer by phone on Sunday night.
Cam, who said she was still recovering from an operation on Friday, planned to submit a letter to the President on Monday to clear her name.
She said she had acquired the properties, including a resort and a school in Cavite province, 鈥渆ven before I joined the government.鈥�
鈥楴o credibility鈥�
Cam called Lim a man with 鈥渘o credibility.鈥�
She believed the issue had something to do with former PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan, who was let go by the President over allegations of corruption in the agency.
鈥淭his Lim is facing several warrants for estafa and even carnapping, and they鈥檙e using him for this cheap, smear campaign to ruin me,鈥� she said.
De Lima claimed Cam came into the President鈥檚 good graces after Cam allegedly conspired with then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Public Attorney鈥檚 Office chief Persida Acosta in 鈥渃oncocting lies鈥� against the senator鈥檚 supposed role in the narcotics trade inside the state penitentiary.
She said Cam, who had also locked horns with Balutan over corruption allegations, was involved in threatening and pressuring the convicted criminals who had testified against her to carry out the President鈥檚 鈥淒estroy De Lima edict.鈥�
Compromised drive
She said she would not be surprised if the President鈥檚 anticorruption campaign would be compromised by irregularities involving Cam.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what you get for dealing with hustlers or shady, underworld characters, just to get what you want,鈥� said the senator, a critic of the administration鈥檚 bloody war on illegal drugs.
鈥淲atch out, Mr. President, she might just blackmail you also,鈥� De Lima said.
In response, Cam told De Lima to 鈥渟hut [her] mouth and stop meddling in this cheap smear campaign.鈥�
鈥淭hey are trying to ruin me [in order] to destroy the President,鈥� she said.
Cam had accused the family of House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of pocketing payola from the illegal numbers game 鈥渏ueteng.鈥�