SEXY singer-turned-Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson on Wednesday got a dressing down from opposition senators for allegedly propagating “fake news” on her blog, which she insisted were just her opinions as a blogger and not as a journalist.
During the Senate committee on public information and mass media hearing on fake news, Senators Bam Aquino, Antonio Trillanes IV, Nancy Binay, Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros confronted Uson regarding her attacks on the opposition and other alleged misinformation posted on her official Facebook account.
The opposition senators even lectured Uson on her supposed “higher responsibility” considering the high position she occupied in the bureaucracy.
But Uson maintained she was not a journalist but just a blogger who had the absolute freedom to post whatever she wanted amid the remarks of PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar that bloggers should also adhere to the Journalism Code of Ethics.
Taking the cudgels for Uson, Assistant Secretary Ana Maria Paz-Banaag noted that Andanar’s policy was not yet in effect.
President Rodrigo Duterte himself said that any law against the proliferation of “fake news” in the country would not prosper, saying placing standards even on “opinion” would kill freedom of expression.
“[That’s dangerous], that’s a violation,” the President said, as he spoke with the parents of hazing victim Horacio Castillo III. “I am sure they cannot pass a law about fake news.”
Duterte said that even if a bill reached his table, he would not sign it.
“If you want to pass a law, it should be on increasing the penalty because we already have laws for libel and slander,” he added.
Earlier, Duterte signed Republic Act No. 10951 giving stiffer penalties on the 87-year-old Revised Penal Code, which includes publishing false news, libel and slander.
While senators belonging to the minority bloc cried foul for being victims of fake news on several occasions, Uson said she also fell prey to fake news.
As Uson bewailed that several mainstream media did not get her side before publishing news articles on her, Aquino retorted, “with the many blogs that you [launched against] us, was there ever a time you asked for our side…?”
“In your case, you never asked our side on your blog. In fact the other day, you had your blog on the Senate minority. Did you ever ask for our side even once?” asked Aquino.
Uson replied: “With all due respect, your honor, I am not a journalist. I am a blogger. I am not a journalist,” said Uson as she emphasized that her blog posts were “just her opinions.”
Not satisfied with Uson’s answer, Aquino repeated his questions and demanded a categorical answer.
“You were asking GMA News Online to get your side…with the many blogs about us, was there ever a time you asked for our side?” Aquino asked anew. Uson said she was also a victim of fake news over ABS-CBN.
Senator Vicente Sotto III interfered and told Aquino he was the one who questioned GMA News Online if it got the side of Uson on a fake news about her.
As Aquino demanded from Uson to answer him with just “Yes or no” Mocha said she refused to answer that question.
“Because? On the grounds of?” Aquino asked anew.
“I have the right to refuse (to answer the question),” she said.
“I have the right to.. I have the right, ano po? I have the right against self-discri-ano.. against self-incrimination. Pasensya na,” Uson said.
“Anong krimen ang tinutukoy mo Asec Mocha? Self-incrimination presupposes may krimen na pinapataw sayo…” Aquino asked.
Initially, Committee chairperson Senator Grace Poe reminded Uson to answer “yes, no or that if you refuse to answer, you have to justify why.”
“We are going far on the issue, I invoke my right against self-incrimination,” said Uson.
“So you are asking for fairness Asec Mocha. You’re asking that these organizations be fair to you, you are asking for fairness, can you also give us fairness?” Aquino said.
Despite this, Uson declined to answer and insisted that “bloggers have a right to their own opinions or to ask the side of others.”
“Opinion based ang blogging unlike in mainstream media,” further stated Uson..”
Senator Miguel Zubiri also defended Uson as he appealed to the committee not to “embarrass” its resource persons.
“I don’t think we should embarrass our resource persons whoever they are…” Zubiri said.
Trillanes also rebuked Uson for posting on her Mocha Uson blog what he claimed as fake news.
Uson argued that if Trillanes had the right to express his own opinions, she too had that right.
However, Trillanes pointed out to Uson that as a public official with the PCOO, there should be no more personal opinion on her part. She told Uson to draw the official line of the government.
“It should be clear to you,” said Trillanes, as he presented to the Senate panel several posts of Uson on her blog which the opposition senator claimed created confusion.
Pangilinan, Binay and Hontiveros also resented Uson’s attack on the opposition in her blog posts.
Binay told the former singer of the sexy group Mocha Girls should choose if she wanted to stay with the PCOO or be a blogger.
While Uson said her job at the PCOO had nothing to do with her blogs, Binay said this could not be separated from her being a public official.
Meanwhile, blogger Rey Joseph Nieto of Thinking Pinoy alleged former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II hired an “influencer” to trend the #NasaanAngPangulo topic that attacked former President Benigno Aquino III last January 2015.
Nieto disclosed Roxas hired a “PR who has contracts with influencers” in the name of Joyce Ramirez. Ramirez.
Lawyer Edwin Lacierda, former spokesperson of Aquino, called out Nieto, saying the latter’s claims were “malicious” and “irresponsible.”
“If he thinks #NasaanAngPangulo was used to distance Mar Roxas from the President, it wasn’t true. The fact is we were all there,” Lacierda said. “There’s no such thing.”
At this juncture, Poe said Nieto should produce “actual proof” to substantiate his claims.
Nieto had named a certain Edwar Angelo “Cocoy” Dayao, an alleged former PCOO) consultant, as behind the “Silent No More PH” page.
He said he was willing to divulge more names behind the page.
Seven senators from the majority bloc last week decried being targeted by the Silent No More PH page when it was supposedly made to appear that they purposely did not sign the Senate resolution urging the Duterte administration to address the spate of senseless killings, especially of children.
The senators who did not sign the resolution are Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto, Richard Gordon, Gringo Honasan, Manny Pacquiao, Cynthia Villar, and Miguel Zubiri. With JP Bencito