Entertainer and pro-Duterte blogger Mocha Uson opted to beg off from her speaking engagement at the Philippine Army’s Senior Leaders’ Conference (SLC) on Tuesday, March 21. She was supposed to speak at the event for 15 minutes about the impact of social media in national security, according to an Army spokesperson.
[ads2]
Mocha sent a letter on Monday expressing her intention to withdraw her attendance from the forum after the Army’s invitation after receiving bad publicity when she posted the Army’s invitation on her Facebook page, said Army spokesperson Col. Benjamin Hao.
Hao said that the Army respects Mocha’s decision and her 15-minute slot would be devoted to open discussions instead with the other speakers of the conference, Duterte supporter Pompee La Viña and blogger Abe Olandres.
He added that it was too late to replace Mocha as a speaker, so her name was not removed from the Army invitations. The conference was attended by 180 Army senior leaders and guest and served as the highlight of the Army’s celebration of their 120th anniversary.
The conference was said to have a goal of promoting “intellectual discourse with experts in various disciplines that impact on national security.”
The Inquirer also reported that an Army officer privy to the goings-on in the conference told them that the institution’s invitation to Mocha was recalled on Sunday. The source said that Mocha was disinvited as her post about the invitation on Facebook displeased the Army officers, although some of them reportedly insisted that she be given a graceful exit.
Mocha said, “It was a surprise for me to be invited as speaker by the Philippine Army. I did not expect that, and I am truly honored.”
She posted the invitation to her Facebook page as “proof” that she is credible as a blogger and even threatened to make her bashers “eat” the invitation, causing social media backlash. The varied reactions her post got made her decide to beg off from attending the conference.
[ads1]
“That’s why I decided to no longer attend the Senior Leaders Conference. I hope you understand my decision. To save our soldiers from being bashed… I have decided not to attend the event,” Mocha said.
Suspension
DZRH has suspended Mocha’s commentary program, as confirmed by a radio station personnel to the Inquirer.
The “indefinite suspension” came after DZRH received complaints from listeners’ over Mocha’s “malicious” remarks against Vice President Leni Robredo.
One of the complainants, Jozy Acosta-Nisperos, leader of The Silent Majority, sent a letter of station’s operator, the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), while specifically addressing MBC president Ruperto Nicdao Jr.
In her letter, Acosta-Nisperos took note of the broadcasting violations Mocha committed.
“On March 18, during a live streaming of her segment on DZRH, Uson verbally attacked Vice President Leni Robredo in a coarse, vicious language dripping with malice – an act that she has regularly resorted to as a propagandist of President Rodrigo Duterte.
What Uson does for a living is none of our business, but in that live streaming, apparently she overstepped the boundaries of decency.
To quote:
’Kasi nga sinungaling ka at fake news ka… Huwag mong araw-arawin ang katangahan mo! Expletive (bleeped out)… Bumili ka ng utak! … Nakakahawa na yang katangahan mo … Sobra lang talagang nakakagalit ang kabobohan ng babae na to…’ ”
To paraphrase: The Vice President is a liar and a bearer of fake news. She is stupid, an idiot. Her stupidity arouses my anger.
In addition, Uson also attacks the Philippine media:
’Ito namang mga lokal na presstitutes natin puro pera ang iniisip kaysa sa kapakanan ng bayan…’”
To paraphrase: The local media are nothing but paid hacks.
May we point out that, in the 2007 Broadcast Code of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), Uson is liable of having violated certain sections:
Article 2. ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES
Sec. 2. Public affairs programs and commentaries shall be handled only by persons who have thorough knowledge of and practice broadcast ethics.
Sec. 4. Public affairs programs shall strive to elicit responsible views on public issues, concerns and events from all sectors of society.
May we also raise the point of whether Uson has a professional broadcaster’s license?”
On Twitter, people reacted to Mocha’s suspension.
One said that it is ‘ironic” for an MTRCB chairman like Mocha to be suspended and others agreed.
Hahaha! It’s quite ironic for an MTRCB official to be suspended. Ibase mo yan sa article 263 mo, leche ka! 😂😂😂 https://t.co/ScRznUg6uo
— Miss Krizzy (@krizzy_kalerqui) March 23, 2017
The sensuous censor gets censured and censored. https://t.co/2u5RYS5GPz
— Miguel Syjuco (@MiguelSyjuco) March 24, 2017
BEST. NEWS. EVER. An MTRCB Board member being censored for not censoring herself. Bili kasi ng utak, @MochaUson.🇵🇭👏🏻 https://t.co/YrZlsTmwu7
— Francis B. Baraan (@MrFrankBaraan) March 23, 2017
Another Twitter user said that given her suspension on the radio station and on Twitter in a space of a month, she “must be doing something wrong.”
Stop destabilizing the Philippines!! #GoodbyeLeni pic.twitter.com/GShogEbPbq
— Mocha Uson Blog (@MochaUson) March 23, 2017
Someone also asked if Mocha was actually talking about herself when she bashed Robredo.
Uhm @MochaUson, are you talking about yourself sa dzrh interview mo? Hehehe
— Aly (@aljstn) March 23, 2017
Mocha was also suspended on Twitter on March 9, but it was restored on the same day.
Twitter accounts are often suspended for reasons such as spam, account security being at risk or abusive behavior or tweets from user.
Mocha blamed Robredo’s “trolls” for reporting her account, leading to its suspension.
Sources: ( newsinfo.inquirer.net , philstar.com )
[ads3]
