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De Lima calls for Senate probe on PCSO squabble

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/26/26056498_170359963572088_912864460_n.jpg"/><figcaption>Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board member Sandra Cam and PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan. Composite</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - Detained Sen. Leila de Lima has called for a Senate investigation into the internal squabble among officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) following corruption allegations made by the agency&#x27;s new board member Sandra Cam.</p><p>De Lima on Monday filed Senate Resolution No. 578, saying a probe is necessary to shield the PCSO from &quot;improper influence and interference from personalities with vested interests.&quot;</p><p>&quot;[Its] image should not be tarnished and its operations affected by the internal politics of the high-ranking personalities in the agency,” she said in a statement Tuesday.</p><p>In December, Cam, a former jueteng whistleblower, had publicly criticized the agency&#x27;s lavish Christmas party and claimed that PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan had threatened her.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/22/17/sandra-cam-seeks-senate-probe-of-lavish-pcso-christmas-party">Sandra Cam seeks Senate probe of &#x27;lavish&#x27; PCSO Christmas party</a></li>	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/09/18/sandra-cam-files-complaint-for-grave-threat-vs-balutan">Sandra Cam files complaint for grave threat vs Balutan</a></li></ul><p>She also criticized the PCSO’s expanded small town lottery (STL) operations, claiming operators under-declare their monthly income, causing government hundreds of millions in losses per month. </p><p>She accused the agency&#x27;s top officials of reportedly cutting the agency’s allocation for charity funds by P1.3 billion.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/26/17/pcso-officials-trade-barbs-over-stl-operations">PCSO officials trade barbs over STL operations </a></li></ul><p>Balutan, however, had dismissed Cam&#x27;s claims and instead accused her of using her post for political gains. </p><p>He also <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/27/17/atong-ang-denies-bid-to-control-lottery-with-sandra-cams-help">claimed </a>that Cam was plotting to replace him to allow businessman Atong Ang to monopolize STL. Ang denied Balutan&#x27;s claims.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/01/04/18/balutan-ready-to-answer-cams-corruption-allegations">Balutan ready to answer Cam&#x27;s corruption allegations </a></li></ul><p>De Lima said claims of both Cam and Balutan should be investigated by the Senate for fairness.</p><p>The lawmaker had once called Cam an &quot;evil woman,&quot; saying she should be investigated for alleged involvement in swindling, illegal gambling and narcotics. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/12/17/de-lima-sandra-cam-must-be-jailed-not-appointed-to-govt">De Lima: Sandra Cam must be jailed, not appointed to govt </a></li></ul><p>&quot;Hindi puwedeng one-sided lang ang imbestigasyon. Let’s be fair here,&quot; she said.</p><p>The senator also raised the importance of investigating Ang&#x27;s previous claim that Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon were involved in a plot to kill him.</p><p>Ang had claimed that the officials wanted to weaken virtual jai alai operations of Meridien Vista Gaming Corporation, where he is general manager, in order to promote STL. </p><p>Aguirre and Esperon had <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/28/17/aguirre-denies-plot-to-kill-atong-ang">denied </a>any wrongdoing and the justice chief ordered an investigation into Ang&#x27;s accusation.</p><div><br/><strong>Read De Lima&#x27;s full resolution here:</strong></div><div style="left:0;width:100%;height:0;position:relative;padding-bottom:141.4227%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?embedded=true&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fsa.kapamilya.com%2Fabsnews%2Fabscbnnews%2Fmedia%2F2018%2Fnews%2F01%2F09%2Fpsrn-578.pdf" style="border:0;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute"></iframe></div>

<p>MANILA - Detained Sen. Leila de Lima has called for a Senate investigation into the internal squabble among officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) following corruption allegations made by the agency's new board member Sandra Cam.</p>

MANILA - Detained Sen. Leila de Lima has called for a Senate investigation into the internal squabble among officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) following corruption allegations made by the agency's new board member Sandra Cam.