Mocha Uson trended on Twitter after her appointment as PCOO assistant secretary

Entertainer, blogger and Diehard Duterte Supporter (DDS) Mocha Justiniano Uson was named as the new assistant secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) on May 8.
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Uson’s position as an assistant secretary for social media was created just for her, Rappler reported.

When news about her appointment erupted, “Mocha Uson” trended on Twitter with netizen’s reactions to her government position.

@PilosopoTanya tweeted her objection to Uson’s appointment. She pointed out how Uson slammed St. Scholastica for allowing its students to hold a rally against the Marcos burial.

She also brought up the instance when Uson shared the photo of a dead rape victim in Brazil and called out the media and human rights activists. Even BBC reported about how Uson used the same photo, but later took it down.

We also debunked the erroneous use of that photo when it was uploaded by Duterte’s election campaign spokesperson Peter Tiu Laviña.

@heycaloy had a grim prediction about the government that appointed Uson.

@teamong responded to Duterte supporter and La Salle professor Antonio Contreras’ tweet throwing shade at Vice President Leni Robredo.

Did Uson take the professional level Civil Service exam, @TheCatSaysMao wondered.

@jowana just gave a new definition to “Mocha Uson,” describing her as the “death of meritocracy.”

Uson is now one of Duterte’s “best and brightest,” said @gideonpena, with sarcasm.

However, there were also those who defended Uson and her new post.

Contreras took to Facebook to urge everybody to give her “the chance to prove her worth.”

Despite some people’s objections for not having the right degree, for her previous work as a sex blogger, for possibly posting fake news, and for being partisan, Contreras noted how her position is focused on social media.

“Mocha Uson, on the balance, is qualified. She is a social media creature. She knows how it operates. She sleeps and breathes in its underbelly,” Contreras wrote.
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“The formalities of her job, now governed by regulations embodied in ethical standards for government workers, will bind her conduct. She will definitely no longer sex-blog. I doubt it if she will still be able to give sex advises. And it will be foolish for her to propagate fakery for this will weigh down heavily on government itself since she will be now held accountable,” he added.

About Uson’s lack of the right degree, Contreras said, “Now, as for her alleged lack of an appropriate degree in communication (she has one in medical technology), she will not be the first official who doesn’t have one. Some are even elected to office, an indication that the electorate doesn’t mind.”

“Let us give her the chance to prove her worth. And when she slips, only then that we should pounce on her,” Contreras said.

Former Ateneo Dean of School of Government Antonio La Viña also defended Uson’s appointment.

“Kay Mocha Uson, sang ayon ako doon kasi… Sa totoo lang magaling siya sa social media and talagang magagamit niya yung social media sa agenda ng Presidente,”La Viña said in an interview on GMA News’ “Hirit ni Mareng Winnie.”

“Yung position na yan, maraming nagsasabi na ayaw kong magbayad ng sweldo niya. Sa totoo lang yung position na yan is specifically for the President kasi talagang spokesperson siya ng President sa social media. Talagang hindi siya magse-serve sa atin na ordinary citizen. The Communications Office serves at the pleasure of the President, para sa agenda ng President,” he added.

Uson’s new appointment prompted her to vacate her seat as an MTRCB board member.

Meme Buster has written about Uson, particularly in issues where she was accused of credit grabbing. For instance, some netizens accused her of credit grabbing after she posted about NAIA Terminal 1’s rehabilitation when it was almost completed in 2015 during Aquino’s term. She was also accused of the same mistake when she claimed that the new MRT coaches were a part of Duterte’s accomplishments during his first 50 days in office. Uson’s post slamming Robredo for being featured in several magazine covers was also debunked by a Reddit user. She shared an erroneous PCOO graphics about Duterte’s planned infrastructure spending and made the error, which she later corrected, of saying that there is an “Article 263” in the Philippine Constitution. Top of Form

Sources: ( newsinfo.inquirer.net , rappler.com , bbc.com , gmanetwork.com )
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