MANILA – Presidential Communications assistant secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson got the ire of several senators after posting on Facebook a video that the latter criticized as a disgustingly comical approach on the information campaign on federalism.
In the video, Uson was seen with a blogger supportive of President Rodrigo Duterte, Drew Olivar, who salaciously danced and sang a jingle with slang terms referring to female private organs.
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III advised Uson to take a leave and stay away from the federalism campaign.
“Ako ay nagkamali! Akala ko makakatulong si Mocha (Uson) sa pagpapaliwanag tungkol sa Pederalismo,” Pimentel said.
He thought someone with authority, like a member of the Consultative Committee – the body Duterte created to review the 1987 Constitution – would take charge of the information campaign.
“Hindi ko lubos akalain na bababuyin pala nila ang kawsa ng Pederalismo,” said the president of the ruling party PDP-Laban.
Secretary Martin Andanar of the Presidential Communications Operations Office should explain Uson’s action, said Sen. Francis Pangilinan.
“Kababuyan at kalaswaan ang tawag sa ginagawa nila at hindi public service,” the opposition party leader said, claiming that Uson created something lascivious using government resources.
In the video, Uson was seen egging on Olivar as the latter was dancing and singing, “I-pepe, i-pepe, i-dede, i-dede, i-pepe-pepe-pepederalismo,” while touching his crotch and chest.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III asked the PCOO to act on the matter.
“Issues as … serious [and] highfalutin like that can’t be taken jokingly or lightly. Perhaps if you are going to do it privately OK lang. But nothing is private in the internet, ’di ba? Nothing is private in internet, therefore, it (video) could not add to the information campaign of the government,” said Sotto.
Uson’s “theatrical techniques” do not enlighten the Filipino people on federalism, he said.
“Mahirap e. Hindi madali,” said Sotto, admitting that he himself does not yet fully understand federalism despite reading briefs on the subject for hours. “Economics saka fiscal issues lang medyo mahihirapan ka, so hindi pwedeng daanin sa biro o commercial iyan. It won’t work.”
Sen. Nancy Binay, who earlier invited Uson to be a resource person on federalism in Senate hearings, said the information campaign is neither an “amusement piece” nor a “comedy material.”
“Even the most educated university professor finds federalism a complicated subject,” Binay said. “I can’t emphasize enough how important the messenger relays the message. With what we saw in the video, I think we can all agree that the message and the messenger matter.”
She urged Malacañang to ask anyone with no official business in speaking on behalf of the Consultative Committee to “disengage” from all federalism-related information campaign activities.
“Ilagay na lang natin muna ang P90 million na pondo sa gamot para sa mga bata,” Binay said of the budget for the federalism information drive. “Let it be better spent on medicines and assistance to flood and fire victims – at least we know health care is worth every centavo.”
Sen. Francis Escudero called Uson’s federalism video a “desperate attempt to attract attention by intentionally offending our sense of propriety.”
“Downright vulgar,” the video has “no place in the public discourse” on the planned shift to a federal system of government, said Escudero.
Meanwhile Sen. Panfilo Lacson emphasized that the proposed federal government is good as dead in the Senate.
“Without Mocha Uson, federalism is already dead and awaiting cremation at the Senate,” Lacson said on Twitter. “With Mocha Uson, the ashes should be thrown far, far away from the Philippines’ 7,107 beautiful islands.”
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said the video was done “in bad taste” and he hopes “it doesn’t happen again.”
Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV called for respect for the Constitution.
“Hindi lahat ng bagay nadadaan sa kabastusan – lalo na kapag kinabukasan ng bayan ang pinag-uusapan,” Aquino said. “Naging malaswang joke time lang ng administrasyon ang Cha-cha (Charter change) at kalagayan ng bansa.”
The “best promoter of President Rodrigo Duterte’s fake federalism” was how Sen. Risa Hontiveros described Uson.
The administration is “infamous for its vulgarity and cheap antics to railroad it (proposed federalism) through an undemocratic and Senate-less Charter change, postponement of the 2019 elections, and term extension,” said Hontiveros.
“With her (Uson) as promoter, the Duterte government’s sham federalism now has zero credibility,” the senator added./PN
