Sandra Cam turns emotional at House hearing: I will continue to fight against corruption

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board member Sandra Cam turned emotional on Tuesday as she defended in a House inquiry her move to expose the supposedly "lavish" expenditure of the agency for its Christmas party last year.

At the House Committee on Good Government hearing, Cam was asked to comment on President Rodrigo Duterte's statement that he finds nothing wrong with the Christmas party.

In response, Cam said she respects the statement of the President.

"Respetado ko po kung ano'ng statement ng ating mahal na pangulo yesterday but I will continue to be a fiscalizer. Babantayan ko po ang bawat kilos ng charity fund, especially the charity fund of the PCSO," she said.

"Nag-iikot po ako sa mga hospitals dito dahil gusto ko makita ang tunay na sitwasyon ng mga mahihirap nating kababayan," she added.

Cam, however, became emotional in the hearing, after she manifested her passion to help eradicate corruption in the country.

Sandra Cam, naiyak sa gitna ng hearing sa kamara. sinabihan ang mga taga PCSO "to moderate your greed." @dzbb pic.twitter.com/3CiwAMMBCd

— Rowena L. Salvacion (@wengsalvacion) February 13, 2018

"Nilagay ko ang buhay ko dito to stop corruption na yun ang advocacy ng ating pangulo. Sabi niya ... just a [whiff] of corruption, tatanggalin ko. And I've proven a lot, hindi lang ito, marami pa akong nasa kamay," she said.

"Lalaban ako, your honors. Hanggang kailan, sa akin lang po yun, because I have the feeling of the poorest of the poor," she added.

Cam pointed out that she has seen the plight of the poor, especially children in the Philippine Children's Medical Center who needed the charity fund from PCSO the most.

"Kailangan kong lumaban dahil nakita ko kung paano diyan sa Philippine Children's Hospital, ang mga bata na kailangang bigyan ng tunay na serbisyo ng PCSO, ng ating bayan. Pero anong ginawa? Hindi naman tama talaga. I fully disagree with [General Manager Alexander] Balutan regarding the lavish Christmas party," she said.

"Huwag naman sana na ang pera na galing sa mahihirap ay gastusin na para lang sa isang party and at the same time, at that time, we have Urduja, we have Vinta," she added.

Balutan maintained, however, that the Christmas party was held as a "morale booster" for their employees who worked hard all year long for PCSO.

"I believe that was a bare minimum na puwedeng gamitin sa empleyado na mahihirap lang din po," he said. "May karapatan din po sila." — RSJ, GMA News