Last week, netizens called for the firing of Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson through the #FireMocha hashtag after she made another misleading post. Uson herself asked President Rodrigo Duterte whether he will fire her, but he simply said “I will fire them first.”
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Despite #FireMocha trending for three days, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said that Uson still enjoyed Duterte’s trust.
“Mocha enjoys the trust and confidence of the President,” Andanar said on CNN Philippines’ The Source in its August 30 episode.
“The fact that she’s always, most of the time, with him in his activities, malaki ang tiwala ni Presidente sa kanya,” he added.
Uson was indeed a frequent participant in Duterte’s activities. She was even one of the people who attended Duterte’s closed-door meeting with Saldy and Lorenza delos Santos, the parents of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos who was killed on August 16 in Caloocan City during the police’s anti-dug operation.
Uson also accompanied Duterte in his third visit to Marawi City on August 24.
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Using her popular Facebook page, Uson campaigned for President Duterte. She still manages her page even after getting appointed as the assistant secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).
Andanar pointed out how Uson continues to defend Duterte, just like the way she did during the campaign.
“Mocha Uson is still in a campaign mode until now. She protects the President, and whether we like it or not… then we have to accept the fact that that’s her unique selling proposition, her huge following online,” Andanar said.
As to the netizens’ call to hold Uson responsible for her misleading posts, Andanar pointed out Uson’s disclaimer on her Facebook page and Twitter account.
“Unang una, may disclaimer siya na kung ano man ang gusto niyang sabihin, sa kanya lang yan, walang kinalaman ang PCOO dito. We agreed to that. Kung meron siyang napo-post na nagiging kontrobersyal si Mocha, she will have to answer for that,” he said.
Andanar was asked to comment on Uson’s misleading posts.
“I have so many problems in my department,” he said.
“Kahit anong sabihin ko sa kanya, sasabihin niya, ‘No, it’s my own…’ Basta ako, ‘Okay, kung yun ang sinabi mo, I respect your decision, yun ang position mo diyan. I have eight or nine more agencies to run and a few hundred more people to look after,'” he added.
Andanar also suggested the right hashtag for Uson should have been #MochaOnFire, given her tenacity against the criticisms she receives online.
“Alam mo naman si Mocha kasi, she just moves forward. Whatever happens to her online, and whatever hashtag trends, it shouldn’t be #FireMocha, it should be #MochaOnFire,” said Andanar.
Communications Sec. @martinandanar: It should be #MochaOnFire, not #FireMocha | #TheSource https://t.co/sDo55hwVGt @MochaUson pic.twitter.com/Q3lRp8TA9B
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) August 30, 2017
Uson has been accused by netizens for spreading misinformation and failing to fact-check her information before posting it online. Recently, she was slammed for daring Vice President Leni Robredo and other opposition lawmakers to visit the wake of a cop who actually died a year ago. She was hit by a netizen for looking for the Commission on Human Rights after posting a CCTV of a holdup incident, for implying that the budget for free state college tuition comes from Duterte, for using #Symbolism as an excuse in using the photo of Honduran police to ask for prayers for the Filipino soldiers in Marawi, and more.
Sources: ( cnnphilippines.com )
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