Sandra Cam’s bid for bail denied
But not yet proof of guilt, says court
THE Manila Regional Trial Court has denied the petition for bail of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) director, Sandra Martinez Cam, and her co-accused in the murder of Batuan, Masbate Vice Mayor Charlie Yuson III, inside an eatery in Manila, some two years ago.
In an 11-page decision dated September 8, 2021, a copy of which was furnished Pinoy Exposé, Hon. Judge Dinnah Aguila-Topacio of Branch 42, citing the guidelines on bail petition released by the Supreme Court, however stressed that as hearings for a bail petition is “summary” in nature, the rejection of the petition filed by Cam, her son, Marco Cam Martin and Batuan councilor and former acting mayor, Nelson Refermoso Cambaya, “should not be regarded as a prejudgment on the merits of the case that is to be determined only after a full-blown trial.”
Aside from the three who are now in custody, four more suspects, who were believed to have actually carried out the attack on Yuson, are still being sought by the authorities, namely:
Junel Reyes Gomez, aka, ‘Bunso;’ Bradford Fuerte Solis; Juanito Bustamante De Luna; and, Rigor Magallanes Dela Cruz.
Aside from the murder of Yuson, the accused are also facing charges for the frustrated murder of Alberto ‘Pao-pao’ Alforte IV, now 25, Yuson’s companion at the time.
The case for murder against Cam’s group is under Criminal Case No. R-MNL-21-02573-CR while the case for frustrated murder is under Criminal Case No. R-MNL-21-02574-CR.
Based on the decision signed by Judge Topacio, the prosecution presented 11 witnesses, of which one witness claimed she had known Cam as far back as 2011.
The witness testified that she was present when the group of Cam planned the murder of the Yusons and the planting of evidence against Yuson’s son, Mayor Charmax by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP). The Cams and the Yusons are bitter political rivals in Batuan local politics.
Backgrounder:
Between 8:00 am and 9:00 am in the morning of October 9, 2019, VM Charlie, along with Alforte, were having breakfast at ‘Jhervee’s Eatery’ along V. Cruz St., Sampaloc, Manila, when a silver-gray Nissan Urvan (ACM-8804) arrived. Three armed suspects then alighted, entered the eatery and started shooting at their victims at close range.
VM Charlie was in Manila at the time to visit his elder brother, Charlie Yuson Jr., who is a barangay chairman in the area.
However, as the suspects were speeding off, at least two witnesses managed to jot down the vehicle’s plate number and gave its brief description to the responding policemen.
The vehicle, with the 4 suspects on board, was flagged down a few minutes later at the corner of P. Gil and Quirino Avenue and the suspects brought to the Manila Police District Station 5 for questioning. An M16 rifle and several pistols were also recovered from the suspects.
Despite positive identification by some witnesses, then Manila Police District director, P/BGen. Vicente Danao, believed that a case for smoking in public places and illegal possession of firearms should be the proper cases to be filed against the suspects.
The Yuson family then appealed to Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary, Menardo Guevarra, for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to takeover the investigation of the incident, which was granted.
Last April 16, 2021, Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento, released the 21-page report of the DOJ Special Panel created on the order of Guevarra.
The panel, based on the NBI investigation, recommended the filing of a case for murder against Cam and her group for the killing of VM Charlie and frustrated murder for the serious wounding of Alforte.
Subsequently, on April 26, 2021, Judge Topacio issued the respective warrants of arrest against Cam’s group, with no bail recommended for the killing of VM Charlie and a bail of P200,000 each for the frustrated murder of Alforte.
The CIDG– whose cases for illegal possession of firearms and explosives against Mayor Charmax in 2019 was dismissed by the Masbate Regional Trial Court for being “fruit of a poisoned tree” (planted)– subsequently announced that Cam “surrendered” last April 29, 2021, but has been placed under ‘hospital arrest’ in Dasmariñas City, Cavite.
Cam is presently detained at the Camp Crame Custodial Center, Quezon City.
The CIDG also announced the ‘surrender’ of Marco Cam Martin at the same time but a picture of him actually in jail came out only last July 30, 2021, with no details provided as to where he is being held.
On the other hand, Cambaya was supposedly “arrested” by the CIDG and the Camarines Norte Provincial Police Office last June 10, 2021, while allegedly “hiding” in Malasigue Island in the town of Mercedes (see also Pinoy Expose article of June 15, 2021).
Significantly, Cambaya’s “arrest” only came on the heel of the visit of PNP director general, P/Gen. Guillermo Tolentino Eleazar, to the Bicol region where he gave specific instruction to arrest all the suspects in the Yuson case who are still at-large.
For still unknown reason, the four suspects arrested by the MPD at the time and who were similarly charged along with Cam managed to post bail and their whereabouts is still unknown up to now.
