FORMER sexy starlet and now Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson should comply with the government rule banning government officials from casinos, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said Thursday.
Uson, who was spotted performing at a casino hotel in Pasay City, is under fire for her possible violation of a circular signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea prohibiting government officials from entering, staying in or playing in casinos.
Abella said all government officials must comply with the prohibition including Uson.
“That matter has to be settled. First, there has to be a proper investigation in order to be able to settle this issue,” Abella said.
Uson’s boss, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, however, appeared to brush off her supposed violation of Malacañang’s order.
“Mocha asked permission to honor her entertainment contracts when she joined the government,” Andanar told reporters in a text message.
“Anyhow, we are still looking into the matter of Mocha performing inside [Resorts World]. Mocha can still perform if she wishes, [but] I would discourage her from performing in places like casinos.”
Despite repeated efforts to get her side, Uson has yet to issue a pronouncement on the matter, even on her Facebook page.
Several posts in social media showed Uson performing along with her all-girl group, The Mocha Girls, at Resorts World Manila, a popular entertainment complex in Pasay City.
Uson, who started out as a solo singer-dancer performing in bars around Metro Manila, became popular for her sexy image and on-stage antics, including lap dances.
She was noticed in light of her staunch defense of then Davao City Mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte, who ran for the country’s highest post in 2016.
Sources earlier told the Manila Standard that Uson’s contract with RWM started in 2010 for a once-a-week performance—and even before Duterte made her member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board last year and as Communications assistant secretary.