PCSO chief to Sandra Cam: ‘Don’t bite hand that feeds you’

PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan reminded new board member Sandra Cam of her duties at the agency which is to help form policy. Balutan quipped that Cam should ‘not bite the hand that feeds’ her. INQUIRER FILES

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Alexander Balutan on Monday defined the duties of Sandra Cam as a board member of the agency, after the “jueteng” whistleblower announced she would be “cleaning up” the office of alleged irregularities.

Balutan told reporters that as a PCSO board member, Cam’s work would be limited to policy-making. Her recent media pronouncements, Balutan said, should be referred to operational matters.

“She’s with policy making and as far as operations is concerned, I handle that as the general manager and chief executive officer,” Balutan said.

“Lahat ng mabuo na policy ng board, na mapagkasunduan ng board through a board resolution, I will be the one who will implement that nationwide. So may limitation kami, hanggang policy-making s’ya. Meron syang sinasabing iba. As long as they are… fully-coordinated with us, with the board, walang problema yan,” Balutan said.

Shortly after President Duterte appointed her to the PCSO board, Cam held a press conference  where she said she claimed that the agency’s Small Town Lottery (STL) is still being used as a front for jueteng, an illegal numbers game.

“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,” Cam had said on her Dec. 13 press conference.

Balutan spoke to reporters after signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) where the PCSO will finance P102 million worth of state-of-the-art medical equipment for selected military facilities nationwide.

Cam and other PCSO board members were invited to the event held at Camp Aguinaldo. The only board member who came was former Quezon City councilor Bong Suntay.

Balutan said Cam was already part of the PCSO family.

“Ibig sabihin, sabi ko nga, ‘Do not bite the hand that feeds you’,” Balutan said. /cbb