Assistant Secretary for Communication Margaux Uson is a polarizing figure.
It could be because of her interesting beginnings. She started her career not as a public communicator or a staff member at a government office but as an entertainer. She led—no, still leads—a group of women who charm their audience with provocative outfits and song-and-dance numbers.
It could be because she fancies herself a force to be reckoned with on social media. She wrote—no, still writes—in vociferous defense of Mr. Rodrigo Duterte, then-candidate and now-president, and in great disdain of anybody who dares criticize him.
What is galling is how she gets away with her infractions when anybody else would have been dealt with harshly, especially by an administration that shows no mercy when it feels like it.
This week, for instance, we discovered that Uson has continued to perform with her dance group at a casino even after her appointment to the Palace communications team. She holds the post with the mandate to stop fake news and with a salary many others with advanced degrees and solid experience could only dream of.
It’s not as though Uson were the first misbehaving member of the communication team. Look at the series of blunders by the Philippine News Agency. She adds a nice touch, though—remember that misleading photo which she defended as symbolism?
But it’s more than juggling multiple jobs. A Palace circular bans the entry of all government officials, soldiers and individuals below 21 years old in casinos. How long would the assistant secretary have continued to perform had she not been called out?
Ms. Uson has been boldly flouting the law because she says her superiors knew of it. Her immediate boss, Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, however, said he had discouraged her from performing in venues like casinos.
Discouraged?
There was a recent trend on social media calling for the sacking of Ms. Uson, but Andanar took the time to play with words: Not #FireMocha, he said, but #MochaOnFire—much to our amusement.
Who’s on fire is the people, sick of impunity committed on all fronts and in all forms by those who count the President on their side.
The communication team keeps bungling its job but sends us a message loud and clear: That incompetence and arrogance are indeed a deadly combination, and with the likes of them around, we better get used to it.
