SC junks whistleblower Sandra Cam’s habeas data plea

The Supreme Court has junked a plea from Whistleblowers' Association president Sandra Cam seeking to stop a Department of Agrarian Reform official from snooping around the area where she lives and compel him to reveal why he wanted to meet with her about the P10-B pork barrel scam.

 

In her petition, Cam said DAR Assistant Secretary Alex Almario wanted to talk to her about the controversial "tell-all" list of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

 

In its ruling, the high court noted that Section 6(d) on the Writ of Habeas Data requires the petitioner to allege “the location of the files, registers or database, the government office, and the person in charge, in possession or in control of the data or information, if known.”

 

A writ of habeas data is a legal remedy available to any person whose right to privacy in life, liberty or security is violated. It grants the petitioner a chance to question the data and to seek for its “updating, rectification, or destruction.” 

 

In Cam's case, the SC said “petitioner did not sufficiently establish that respondent Almario was behind the alleged surveillance over her person conducted through the subject vehicles."

 

In her petition for the issuance of a writ of habeas data, Cam asked the high court to order Almario, who is a member of the DAR Adjudication Board, to "cease and desist from conducting reconnaissance and/or surveillance in and around the private residence of the petitioner." 

 

Cam wanted the high court to compel Almario to reveal why he wanted to meet with her about the controversial "tell-all" list of Napoles. She accused Almario of doing surveillance around the school where she works and lives.

 

Cam claimed that on April 30, Almario dropped by the National Institute of Alfonso, the school Cam is managing in Cavite and where she also resides. She said Almario requested to have a conversation with her about the "great incident" concerning the controversial list of lawmakers, who allegedly dealt with Napoles.

 

Almario reportedly identified himself as an "unofficial representative."

 

Cam asked the high court to direct Almario to reveal the "real reason" why he made "many numerous attempts... to meet the petitioner face-to-face at a time when petitioner is under clear and present danger of real harm, in view of her latest expose involving mega plunder affecting the entire Republic of the Philippines."

 

But in its ruling, the SC said there were no allegations of overt or covert acts to suggest that the vehicles escorted Almario or that they were part of one group when the DAR official dropped by Cam’s school for the meeting.

 

However, the SC added that Cam “may pursue such claims in a proper suit, invoking her constitutional right to information under Article III, Section 7 of the Constitution, if she is minded.”

 

In her petition, Cam had also said Almario used to be the Liberal Party Masbate district chairman and was the known "Bright Boy of Drilon" in Masbate. She was refering to Senate President Franklin Drilon.

 

Cam also said Almario once wrote an open letter published online in which he declared "Sir Noy" as his boss. "Noy" is the nickname of President Benigno Aquino III.

 

Since that day until May 3, "suspicious vehicles" started roaming around the school. Cam said those in the cars seemed to be trying to determine the positions of the school's closed-circuit television cameras.

 

Cam said seeking a writ of habeas data from the high tribunal was her "last remaining plain and adequate remedy since the Most Powerful Man in Philippines is willfully supressing the right of the public to information on matters of public concern with the use of subtle force and intimidation."

 

In a phone interview with GMA News Online earlier, Almario denied that he was spying on Cam, saying he was in the area to pay her a social visit.

 

Cam earlier claimed having in her possession a copy of the supposed list of Napoles that contained the names of people involved in the pork barrel fund scam.

 

She had earlier threatened to reveal to the public contents of her copy of the list, in case Justice Secretary Leila de Lima would "sanitize" the list to spare certain individuals from charges.

 

De Lima obtained the list in a meeting with Napoles at Ospital ng Makati before the latter had surgery to remove her uterus and ovaries. —KG, GMA News