'Federalism' video prompts calls to slash PCOO budget, fire Mocha

MANILA, Philippines —A women’s group and a lawmaker have joined the calls of social media users to scrap the Presidential Communications Operations Office's budget following the controversial video on federalism by Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and her blogger co-host.

Rep. Tom Villarin (Akbayan party-list) said that Uson’s video, which showed her co-host Drew Olivar chanting “i-pepe” and “i-dede” while gesturing to his crotch and chest was “not the first time that PCOO has made a fool of itself.”

“Simple errors in spelling or grammar are indicators of the huge error in appointing officials who are not up for the task of informing our people accurately, sufficiently and responsibly,” Villarin said, referring to PCOO”s several flubs in the past.

The blunders range from referring Norway as “Norwegia” to publishing the old articles of the Philippine News Agency with editor’s notes in the headlines.

This week, social media users, including military enthusiasts, called out state-run PTV for using manipulated photos for a report on a plan to send Navy frigates to Libya.

READ: PTV makes waves with photoshopped Navy frigate

“If this is where our taxes go, perhaps it’s time to remove its budget and use it for what our people truly need,” the opposition lawmaker said.

Villarin also noted that a presidential office is not a comedy bar.

“[Assistant Secretary] Uson would better remember that she is already a public official who must perform, not lewd acts of comic material, but her duties to the Filipino people with integrity and respect,” he said.

Advocacy group Every Woman likewise suggested that the agency be given a budget of zero. 

“In light of another unbelievable gaffe on the part of the PCOO, we also protest its requests to increase its budget,” Every Woman said.

The PCOO asked for a P1.41 billion budget in 2019, higher than the P1.38 billion budget in 2018.

'Fire Mocha'

Every Woman slammed Uson for sexualizing the issue of the proposed shift to a federal form of government.

“You don’t use women’s bodies to make arguments, sell products or win political points. When you do, you continue to encourage everyone to treat us as sex objects,” the group said.

Malacañang on Monday said that federalism shift requires “serious discussion” and Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar has said the video was unauthorized and did not go through PCOO channels.

Every Woman said that the government should sack Uson immediately.

“We join the call to fire Mocha Uson now. This administration seems adept at attacking and firing women with high credentials and great competence while hiring and rewarding people like Uson who have shown their incompetence over and over,” it said.

Last year, the hashtag #FireMocha trended on Twitter after she demanded opposition leaders visit the wake of a cop who, as it turned out, had been dead for a year.

In April, Akbayan Youth said that Uson should be removed from her post for committing administrative offenses of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Uson, who has deflected criticism over the federalism video, shrugged off the complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, saying the group gave her an idea for the name of her future business.

READ: ‘Fire Mocha? Good name for my coffee shop’

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