BY DENNIS GADIL
LAOAG CITY — Jueteng whistle blower Sandra
Cam on Tuesday fired the opening salvo for the Genuine
Opposition’s (GO) campaign swing here by claiming that all
congressmen from Bicol, except for former congressman now
Budget Secretary Rolando "Nonoy" Andaya Jr. and Sorsogon Rep.
Francis "Chiz" Escudero, received jueteng payola.
"Si Escudero and, in fairness, to
Congressman Nonoy Andaya, hindi talaga sila tumatanggap kahit
noon pa," Cam, who motored to this city as the one-woman
advance team for the GO ticket, said in an interview. The rest
of the GO candidates are coming in late Tuesday or early
Wednesday.
Cam came home from the Middle East last
week due to "health and political reasons."
"Full blast pa rin ang jueteng operations
sa Bicol," she said. "Bumalik din ako dahil naiinis ako sa mga
impokritong congressmen ng Bicol na ‘di daw sila tumatanggap."
She named Team Unity candidate and Ilocos
Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson as among the administration
senatorial candidates who are allegedly receiving jueteng
money.
Cam, however, said she has no first-hand
knowledge of Singson’s jueteng activities unlike those of the
congressmen from Bicol, where she once operated as jueteng
"bagman."
She said her only "personal interaction"
with Singson was when he visited Masbate years ago to attend a
cockfighting festival. Cam hails from Masbate.
She said of the Bicol congressmen allegedly
receiving jueteng protection money, former Albay Rep. Joey
Salceda, now presidential chief of staff, as the most
voracious.
"Siya ang pinakamatakaw na congressman na
tumatanggap ng jueteng payola," she said.
Salceda could not be reached for comment.
"Sigurista siya. Gusto niya may bagyo o
wala, bayad siya," she said.
She said aside from Salceda, the
congressmen who are allegedly receiving jueteng money are
Reps. Edcel Lagman of Albay, Luis Villafuerte of Camarines Sur
, Carlos Imperial of Albay, Jose Solis of Sorsogon and Renato
Unico of the lone district of Camarines Norte.
Cam also alleged Sorsogon Gov. Raul Lee is
on the jueteng take.
She also cleared Albay Gov. Fernando
Gonzales. But Cam insisted someone close to the governor
continues to receive jueteng money on his behalf.
"When he learned about this for the first
time, he donated the money to charitable institutions," Cam
said.
Cam estimated that Bicol local officials
and congressmen are receiving at least P2 million in jueteng
money every month. She said the biggest jueteng operator in
Bicol are the Pinedas.
Villafuerte said he would sue Cam if she
would not withdraw her accusation.
Villafuerte, president of the Kabalikat ng
Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), said the same accusation was made
during the Senate inquiry on jueteng but this was the first
time that he was directly implicated by Cam.
"Everybody knows in Bicol (that this is not
true). If she said this and does not withdraw, I’ll sue her,"
he said.
Lagman also denied the accusation. "I think
this is just politically-motivated," he said in a phone
interview.
An aide of Solis said the congressman was
in a meeting and could not be bothered. Imperial could not be
reached for comment.
Cam said she is not hiding her support for
the opposition.
"Yes, sabi ni Secretary Ace Durano I’m here
because the opposition will use me. Natural, kaysa pagamit ako
sa admin," Cam said.
Cam said it was she who volunteered to help
the opposition campaign.
She said: "I want to get back at them (Malacañang),
pagkakataon ko na ito."
She said she did not receive any instructions from the GO
leaders, except words of encouragement from President Joseph
Estrada and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz. –
With Wendell Vigilia
