No sooner had former “jueteng” whistle-blower Sandra Cam set foot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) than she found a case to dig into.
Cam, newly appointed PCSO board member, said at least 70 of the 84 authorized agent corporations were using Small Town Lottery (STL) as a front to the illegal number games jueteng.
“Out of the 84 STL outlets in the country, around 70 are being controlled by gambling lords. They are using STL for their bookies. Only 14 are operating legally,” she said in a press conference during her second day in office.
Cam figured in an outburst with airport workers earlier this year when she was not accorded VIP treatment after her failure to present a government ID. “I don’t have a government ID but in three months, I will be a member of the Cabinet,” she had said.
ONBOARD Lawyer Bong Suntay (left) and former “jueteng” whistle-blower Sandra Cam, newly appointed directors of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), join PCSO General Manager Alexander F. Balutan (right) and Chief of Staff Raymondo A. Liwag (back) in the regular flag-raising ceremony at the agency’s office in Mandaluyong City. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Cam and lawyer Bong Suntay, former Quezon City councilor, were both sworn in on Dec. 6 as the newest directors of the PCSO board.
“The President wants to give the full assistance to the masses, but we cannot give all; we cannot give the best this government wants because we are shortchanged. There is only a (percentage) that our government gets. I am not against anything, I can be one of them but only in the right direction,” Cam said.
“Of all the board members here, I am the only one capable to expose illegal STL operations. This is my forte … This is my first time to serve the government. (My goal) is to eradicate corruption and this agency has a lot of those … I am thankful for the trust and confidence President Duterte gave me … I am very particular on the games,” she said.
Cam, 57, lost her bid as senator under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan slate in the last elections.
According to Cam, the top provinces where jueteng is rampant are Bicol, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan.
She said 10 whistle-blowers who were professionals would serve as her confidential agents who would expose irregularities in STL. Each agent would be paid P18,000 monthly to check the agency’s operations and illegal activities nationwide.