Sandra Cam: Duterte Supporter, De Lima Critic and Whistleblower.

SUMMARY This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article. CAM. Former PCSO director Sandra Cam holds a press conference in Makati City days after a Manila Regional Trial Court found her and six others not guilty in the case of murder and frustrated murder of Batuan, Masbate vice mayor Charlie Yuson III in Sampaloc, Manila in 2019. Rappler Her name stirs up mixed feelings in people who have witnessed her evolution in the last decades. Some knew Sandra Cam as an anti-corruption whistleblower, while others regarded her as a tool against government critics. Cam passed away at age 64, her family announced on Thursday, April 10. “‘Mama Ningning’ is a resilient single mother who raised three sons into strong, capable men — each one carrying forward her legacy of serving the Filipino people with courage and compassion,” Cam’s son Marco posted on social media. Born Sandra Abaño Martinez, Cam was a Bicolana who grew up in Batuan, Masbate. Her family remembers her as a religious woman and a public servant. “She is a faithful woman of God and was known for her dauntless courage, bold spirit, and unwavering dedication as a diligent fighter for truth — qualities that earned her the ‘Dangal ng Bayan’ award and recognition as a ‘Natatanging Filipina na Sumusulong sa Pagtulong at Paglaban sa Korapsyon,'” said Marco. “Her deep value for education likewise earned her recognition as an Outstanding Asian Public Servant and Educator in the Philippines,” her son added. Cam obtained her journalism degree from Manuel L. Quezon University in 1980, according to her Meta page. She finished primary school in Batuan and high school in Masbate City. The youngest of 14 children, Cam said she grew up from “a family of educators, disciplinarians, industrious, and fighters for truth.” “Whistleblower” is the word that former Philippine National Police (PNP)-chief-turned-lawmaker Panfilo “Ping” Lacson had used in reference to Cam. She entered the public consciousness when she stood as witness in a Senate probe into jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling. Lacson, who’s seeking a Senate comeback in the May elections, recalled visiting Cam in a safe house under the protection of the clergy. “I felt saddened when I heard the news of her death. I remember working with her when she was under the protection of the late Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who was a strong advocate against illegal gambling, particularly jueteng,” Lacson said in an interview with Bombo Radyo Cebu. In June 2005, Cam implicated the Arroyos in jueteng. The bag woman-turned-whistleblower revealed in a Senate hearing that she gave jueteng money to then-presidential sons Mikey and Iggy Arroyo. Apart from this, Cam also exposed other public officials who were alleged coddlers of jueteng operators hiding under the cover of small-town lottery. She was considered a high-profile witness then, attending hearings with armed escorts. Cam later became president of the Whistleblowers Association of the Philippines, where she found herself busy again during the probe into the controversial pork barrel or the Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF scam. The whistleblower said she had her own list of government officials involved in the scam. She said she got it from an “unimpeachable” source and it implicated nearly 100 lawmakers. More than a decade later, the country would see the conviction of small-time actors in the pork barrel scam, while accused big fish like Senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada, as well as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, walked free from plunder cases. Former senator and justice secretary Leila de Lima was among the first to react to Cam’s passing: “My condolences to the bereaved family. She was humble enough to ask for forgiveness. I forgave her. Rest now in eternal peace, Sandra.” What did Cam do to the former senator? Cam herself admitted that she was “used as a tool for the imprisonment of De Lima.” Their friction goes all the way back to 2014, when De Lima faced the Commission on Appointments for confirmation as justice secretary under the late former president Benigno Aquino III. Cam, along with Senator Jinggoy Estrada, questioned De Lima over her alleged “illicit affair.” The whistleblower dared De Lima to confront the issue, even claiming that she had videotapes allegedly in her possession to prove her allegations. She even challenged the then-justice secretary to file a libel complaint against her because she was “just waiting for the proper forum and the videotape.” Calling Cam her former friend, De Lima said she believed there was “someone behind the whistleblower.” “There might be a person or persons behind her. I am not mad at Sandra. Sandra, enough please, enough. Tama na iyan (Stop it),” De Lima said in 2014. At the height of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s attacks against De Lima in 2016, Cam joined the hate train and repeated her claim that she had three alleged sex videos of De Lima with three different men. She even dared to play them during a probe into the former senator: “If she dares me, right then and there, I will show it.” Cam, along with the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and National Bureau of Investigation officials, also sought De Lima’s disbarment in the same year. They accused De Lima of gross immorality and violating the Lawyer’s Oath and the Code of Professional Responsibility over the former secretary’s alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison. All of the Duterte-time drug cases that caused De Lima to be detained for nearly seven years had already been dismissed by Muntinlupa City courts. In her fight against her “trumped-up” charges, De Lima included Cam in the list of officials and personalities involved in her persecution. After Cam’s release from detention over a criminal case, she apologized to her old friend De Lima: “I witnessed and shared her hardships of being unjustly imprisoned. I have asked for her forgiveness and I have expressed regret over my mistakes. And the restoration of our friendship is more important than politics.” De Lima told Rappler that when she and Cam were detained inside the PNP Custodial Center, there were times when they were able to talk. “In one of those conversations, she [apologized], saying she was merely used in working on Kerwin Espinosa to falsely implicate me in the latter’s illegal drug trade and also in assassinating my character. She was crying when she asked for my forgiveness,” De Lima told Rappler. “Sensing some measure of sincerity on her part, I instantly gave it to her. I told her, ‘Everyone makes mistakes,'” she added. Cam sought a Senate seat in 2016 under the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino ticket, and was among the candidates whom then-mayor Duterte had endorsed in the elections that made him the 16th Philippine president. She failed in her bid, placing 41st in the race with only over 770,000 votes. Her name reentered the public’s consciousness when Duterte appointed her to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Board of Directors in 2017. Before her actual appointment, Cam had already joined Duterte’s trips abroad, including the one in the Middle East, as part of her “advocacy” for overseas Filipino workers. Inside the PCSO, Cam fought with fellow officials. She had a rift with former PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan and former PCSO chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz after she publicized the PCSO’s multimillion expenses that outraged the public. Duterte defended Balutan and the lavish party they had, saying he had no problem with the celebration and held no grudges against the then-general manager. He even advised Cam to stop “fighting” Balutan, but In March 2019, Duterte fired Balutan “due to serious allegations of corruption.” Cam later found herself in the middle of a criminal allegation. She was indicted by justice prosecutors for the 2019 murder of Batuan, Masbate vice mayor Charlie Yuson III. Her son Marco and five others were also charged for the crime. The victim’s family claimed that the Cams were allegedly involved in Yuson’s killing because a member of their family defeated Marco in the Batuan, Masbate mayoral race in 2019. After days in hiding, Cam surrendered to the police after she was confined in a Cavite medical facility for a spine illness. Cam tried asking the court to allow her hospital arrest due to her medical condition, but she was instead detained in the PNP Custodial Center, where De Lima also stayed. Cam, her son, and former Batuan vice mayor Nelson Cambaya were acquitted by a Manila court in January 2023, paving the way for their release. Aside from repairing her relationship with De Lima, Cam shared in a press conference after her release that she “became closer to God.” But what was glaring in that press conference was how she maintained her adoration for Duterte. This was despite everything she had gone through and despite her reconciliation with De Lima, whom her former principal had persecuted. “I want to thank the former president — my president — PRRD, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Thank you, Tatay Digong, for giving me hope and the chance to prove myself in government service. I will never forget this,” said Cam. – Rappler.com *Some quotes were translated into English for brevity Add a comment There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel? 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