Malacañang is letting the Ombudsman investigate allegations that Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board member Sandra Cam has amassed more than P500 million in unexplained wealth after her appointment to the agency.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after detained Sen. Leila M. de Lima dared President Duterte to fire Cam following the allegations.
Panelo said Malacanang does not need to launch its own investigation on the matter since a private citizen has filed a complaint at the Ombudsman. “Since it’s already with the Ombudsman, and the Ombudsman has the power to suspend, I think we’ll let it do the process,” he said.
“We will not be duplicating any investigation considering the fact that there is now a pending case with the Ombudsman,” he added.
According to De Lima, not lifting a finger on Cam’s “well-known shenanigans” will shatter Duterte’s corruption-loathing image.
“I dare you, Mr. President, to fire Sandra Cam or at least order a bonafide investigation into her alleged amassing of properties worth hundreds of millions of pesos, including an island,” De Lima said in a handwritten statement. “That’s a whiff or more than ‘whiff of corruption,’ isn’t it?” she added.
In a complaint filed before the Ombudsman by a certain Lino Espinosa Lim Jr., Cam is supposedly the owner of several properties in Masbate. Lim said Cam failed to properly declare these in her 2017 and 2018 Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.
Cam allegedly failed to declare in her SALNs other properties, including Zandra’s Beach Resort and Convention Center, and two parcels of land in Barangay Pinamoghaan, Ticao Island, San Fernando.
She also supposedly did not declare five parcels of land on Matabao Island in Batuan.
The former whistle blower also allegedly concealed her ownership of the properties, including a lavish resort, by registering them under the names of family members.
Duterte has repeatedly warned government officials that he would fire them even with just a whiff of corruption. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)