Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Alexander Balutan has turned the tables on Sandra Cam, saying that Cam’s real motive in casting aspersions against PCSO officials is because she wants to take over the chairmanship of the agency.
Balutan made the statement following Cam’s criticism that PCSO held an ‘extravagant’ Christmas party for its employees in a 5-star hotel.
But Balutan vowed that if Cam, who was recently appointed as PCSO board member, succeeds in grabbing the chairmanship of the PCSO, he would immediately resign.
“Bago pa lang sya dumating sinasabi na nya sa media na gusto nya mag-chairman,” Balutan said in radio interview.
“Hindi pa man sya pumapasok dito, naga-apply palang, nung araw, last year, ganun na sinasabi nya, lilinisin nya kami rito sa PCSO so sumakit ang loob namin dito. We are building up the reputation of PCSO,” he added.
Balutan added that Cam appears to be trying to destroy the agency in the eyes of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Sinisira nya ang ahensya before the President.”
“Eh sasakit naman ang loob ko kung sya ang magiging chairman, eh better na mag-resign nalang ako,” he added.
But Cam, the whistleblower of the jueteng payola scheme in 2005, said she was interested in Balutan’s position.
“Kanila na ang pwesto. Hindi ‘yan paninira. Pera ng bayan itong pinag-uusapan natin. Kanila na ‘yang pwesto. I can even resign anytime. I don’t need to be in the government, to be in public service, you know that, Igan. Galit sila, nakakaamoy sila sa akin na marami na akong nadiskubre,” she said.
Cam had described as “inappropriate” the P10-million Christmas party of PCSO in a five-star hotel, but Balutan said that they only spent P6 million for the party.
“Kumpara po sa mga nakaraan malayo po. Very austere, yung mga pagkain po hindi gaanong bongga,” he said.
Balutan said the decision to hold the party was a collective decision by the board.
“Collegial body po yan eh. Ininvite nalang namin sya (Cam). Pero iba ang dating sa kanya, but that’s her own opinion,” he said.
As this developed, Cam said that aside from the ‘P10-M’ Christmas party, she is ready to unveil other irregularities within the PCSO.
She added that she is confident that the Senate will investigate the nationwide organization’s alleged extravagant Christmas party.
Cam is also set to file charges against the officials involved and “push for an audit” of the party.
“For sure they (Senate) will have an investigation on this” and said the case was “in the hands of my confidential agents,” Cam said.
“Marami (ang irregularities), at darating tayo diyan isa-isa. At this moment, ayoko munang magsalita. Because I want to go directly to the President.”
Cam claimed that the board resolution for the party was at P9.88 million and not P6 million as claimed by PCSO officials.
She said that she brought the matter to the attention of Balutan, who told her that the matter was already “above board.”
In a separate interview, Cam said the PCSO spent P3.3 million for food and venue reservation—the Isla Ballroom at the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel—and another P3.7 million for raffle prizes.
She said she chose not to attend the party in protest, as the money could have been spent for helping Filipinos in time of numerous calamities.
PCSO Chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz had said that he was open to any probe but described as exaggerated Cam’s P10-million claim.
Like Balutan, Corpuz said they only spent P6 million on a party that was “well-deserved” by employees.
Cam is an avowed supporter of Duterte, who had already fired several government officials for alleged corruption.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque recently said that the President will look into the matter.
“I think you know that the President does not tolerate extravagance. So we do not know yet ‘no. I’m sure the President will look into the matter. As you know, he’s very sensitive to what is reported by his own people ‘no, in the different branches of government,” he said.