Sometimes things have a way of working themselves out. Mocha Uson, assistant secretary in Malacañang’s Office of Communications, turned out to be the best argument against the administration proposal for a federal form of government.
Uson is the same Palace official who does not have the slightest sense of Philippine geography when she said Mayon Volcano was in Camarines Sur. Her latest faux pas wherein she drew flak was when she appeared in Facebook with one Drew Olivar who did a dance number supposedly to promote public awareness of what federalism is all about. But the duo drew barbs for interpreting federalism with lewd dance movements and twisted words like “pepe and dede” which combined was pun as “pepedederalismo.” As any Pinoy with a naughty mind would know, “pepe is the common folks’ word for the female organ and “dede” means boobs or breasts.
Malacañang now wants Mocha disengaged from the information drive on federalism. The move was decided after Senators Panfilo Lacson and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel reacted to Mocha’s latest boo-boo.
“Mocha Uson’s trivializing of such a serious matter as federalism has no place in the campaign to promote public awareness of the issue,” said Senate President Tito Sotto. Other senators like Grace Poe, Paulo Aquino, Ping Lacson and J.V. Ejercito were aghast that Uson debased a serious subject that could change the lives of millions of Filipinos.
One senator said Uson should take a leave of absence and study the finer points of communications instead of just relying on millions of followers on social media.
What is it about Uson that despite so many blunders, President Rodrigo Duterte hasn’t fired her yet? She is in fact often included in Duterte’s official trips abroad. This, despite the fact that Communications Secretary Martin Andanar and Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque are already in the President’s official delegation. For her to be in the President’s official delegation only makes her excess baggage with taxpayers spending for her plane fare, pricey hotel accommodations and allowances. Hmm.
There is a color photo of Mocha Uson in a red long dress that is making the rounds on the cellphones of people who are sharing it with others. I wonder if Mocha Uson knows about it or whether the picture has been passed on to her. This photo is more viral than her seductive dance number on federalism.
ID, please
President Duterte has signed into law the national identification number for every citizen. A national ID is intended to fight crime and cut red tape. The government allayed fears and assured the people that the national ID will not breach a person’s privacy.
The national ID was proposed as early as the time of former President Fidel V. Ramos but did not gain traction with legislators and human rights groups who were apprehensive the government could use it for invading privacy.
But with the increasing incidences of terrorism, Filipinos are now more receptive to the ID system to marginalize criminals and terrorists who walk among the people.
On the political front, the warring groups vying to be the minority bloc and for the post of House Minority leader Danilo Suarez are getting fewer, Reports have reached incumbent Minority Leader Suarez of Quezon that some members of the minority have joined the majority coalition that installed former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as House Speaker.
Two allies of ousted Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and former Majority Leader Rudy Fariñas have signed up to join the majority coalition, according to a list shown by Speaker Arroyo. The defectors are Rep. Dakila Cua of of the lone district of Quirino, Rep. Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur and Rep. Christopher de Venecia, the son of former Speaker Jose de Venecia.
Erratum
We regret the error in my column last Monday titled “Minority of three.” The sixth paragraph should have read “It’s a good thing the MILF did NOT ask for a separate Department of Foreign Affairs or we would need to get visas to enter the regions and provinces under the Muslim Mindanao areas.”