Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board member Sandra Cam and her son were released from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center on Monday night, Jan. 16, a few hours after they were acquitted by a Manila Regional Trial Court in connection with the death of a Masbate town mayor in 2019.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. said Cam and her son Marco Martin were released after their medical examination and completion of other protocols.
"After their medical examination, it seemed that she and her son wanted to go home. So what we did is to ensure their safety," said Azurin.
He said he tasked the commander of the Headquarters Support Service of the PNP, Brig. Gen. Mark Pespes, to escort the two to their house to ensure that nothing would happen to them.
"We have to ensure that they are safe because whatever happened to them on their way to their house or even in front of their house, it is the PNP which will certainly be blamed," said Azurin.
Cam and her son were charged of murder for the death of former Batuan, Masbate Mayor Charlie Yuzon who was shot dead while eating breakfast in an eatery in Manila in October 2019.
Relatives of Yuson accused Cam, her son and five other people as behind the killing. Cam's son lost to Yuson's son during the 2019 local elections.
The Manila court acquitted Cam and her co-accused after the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they were indeed involved in the killing of Yuson.