The big scandal of the week is Mocha Uson's sexy Pepe-dede-ralismo dance. Remember she was tapped to be a spokesperson to inform the public about federalism. She claims this video was made before she was picked as spokesperson and that it has nothing to do with her advocacy for federalism and that she is in fact not a spokesperson for federalism. She also pointed out it was her co-host who did the dancing and singing and not herself. That answer did not matter and many feathers were riled.
Mocha Uson then hit back at those Senators who chided her video and claimed they were in on the alleged election fraud in 2016. She also reneged on her original claim that the video was not "intended to campaign for federalism" by saying that she merely wanted people to be talking about federalism.
Some say federalism is now dead and Mocha Uson has killed it but if that is the true then the case for federalism must be very weak indeed. Of course with the government wanting to compose a federalism rap/jingle and enlist celebrities to promote federalism the whole thing is reduced to a brand or product to be sold to the people. Imagine if the colonial founders of the United States instead of writing long editorials, The Federalist Papers, telling the public how the federal republic would function used celebrities and jingles to promote the Constitution. How ridiculous!
It's a huge mess and from all the outrage expressed by the Senate and even the PIA Chief one would think this is the last straw. But it's not. Duterte will have the last word and he's playing it cool for the moment.
Here are a few headlines.
In the nearly 2-minute video, Drew Olivar, Uson's co-host in the "Good News Game Show," was seen singing "I-pepe" and "i-dede" while dancing and gesturing to his crotch and chest areas. He then yelled "I-pederalismo" at the end of the number.
It was obscene, wrote Filipinos on their social media posts.
Responding to criticism, Uson explained that the online show was produced even before she was asked by the Con-Com and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to help with the federalism campaign.
Uson also downplayed her role in the campaign, saying she is neither its spokesperson nor ambassador and that she was just tapped to help on social media.
Uson likewise stressed that she did not perform anything when the video blog entry was recorded, saying it was only Olivar who did.
“Hindi ako ang sumayaw dyan. It was Andrew Olivar,” she said.
Uson also clarified that the video blog entry was not intended to campaign for federalism, explaining that it was only for a “game show” episode of her Facebook page “MOCHA USON BLOG.”
The video blog, hosted by Uson and Olivar, featured a segment where Olivar sang and danced while touching his crotch and chest and singing: “I-pepe, i-pepe, i-dede, i-dede, i-pepe-pepe-pepederalismo!”
“Pepe” is a colloquial term used by Filipinos to refer to a vagina while “Dede” is used to refer to breasts.
“He wasn’t laughing. He was cool,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said of Duterte’s reaction to the “Pepedederalismo” video that several lawmakers and netizens found to be disgusting.
“It’s freedom of expression. He’s a staunch advocate of freedom of expression kaya nga mahilig magmura,” Roque said in a press briefing on Tuesday.
“Now, everyone knows about federalism, but it’s not exactly in the manner that we wanted it,” Roque said. “Let’s just transform the debate into something substantive.”
Actually everybody still knows nothing about federalism. Just recently when two economic managers said it would be financially disastrous it was suggested Duterte sack them. That's because they do not want genuine discussion on the pros and cons of the matter.
“On the heels of PCOO Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson’s latest blunder on the Administration’s campaign to push for federalism, a public apology from the PCOO official is paramount,” Clavite said.
“I respectfully urge Ms. Mocha Uson to take a leave of absence to think and reconfigure all her strategies putting into consideration the code of conduct and ethical standards that all public officials should adhere to,” he also said.
Clavite branded Uson’s viral video on her blog on Facebook as “not only a seeming insult to our profession in communication and public information but also degrading to the women and mothers in our communities.”
“We have been sitting idly by for too long, and it is about time that someone speaks up and hold erring officials accountable for repeatedly tarnishing the reputation of our government,” the PIA director general said.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III: You can just brush it aside. I think we just brush it aside. It won't work. And I am sure the PCOO will do something about it.... I’d rather not delve [into] personalities. Mas mabuting doon na lang sa isyu. That is not effective. That is not the way to disseminate information.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto: She’s the perfect endorser for federalism. She symbolizes those in favor of federalism.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III: 'Di ko lubos akalain na bababuyin pala nila ang kawsa ng pederalismo. Ilayo na si Mocha sa pederalismo. Mag-aral muna siya nang mabuti. Mag-leave muna siya… Hindi [ako] galit (I am not angry) but disappointed that the "best and the brightest" appointed to this government can come up with only that kind of bullshit.
(I could not imagine that they would besmirch the cause of federalism. Mocha should be removed from the federalism campaign. She should study first. She should take a leave first.)
Senator Panfilo Lacson: Without Mocha Uson, federalism is already dead and awaiting cremation at the Senate. With Mocha Uson, the ashes should be thrown far, far away from the Philippines' 7,107 beautiful islands.
Senator Francis Escudero: It is a desperate attempt to attract attention by intentionally offending our sense of propriety! It is downright vulgar and has no place in the public discourse on such an important issue as their proposed shift to federalism and charter change!
Senator Cynthia Villar: This is federalism. This is a serious matter. This is revision of the Constitution, ayusin natin (let us fix) how we promote it in a more decent manner.... Ayusin nila 'yung federalism campaign nila. Hindi na nga popular ang federalism, magkaka-controversy pa na ganito. (They should do their federalism campaign properly. It's not good that there's a controversy like this, especially since federalism isn't even popular to begin with.)
Senator Nancy Binay: Nakalulungkot (It is sad) that the seriousness of the discourse has been downgraded to the lowest of forms. At the moment, perhaps Malacañang can ask those who have no official business in speaking in behalf of the Consultative Committee to disengage from all activities relating to the information campaign about federalism.
Ilagay na lang natin muna ang P90 million na pondo sa gamot para sa mga bata (Let us allot the P90 million meant for the federalism information drive for the medicines of children). Let it be better spent on medicines and assistance to flood and fire victims – at least we know health care is worth every centavo.
Senator Francis Pangilinan: Kababuyan at kalaswaan ang tawag sa ginagawa nila at hindi public service. Ang pambabastos at pambababoy ng isang assistant secretary ay 'di dapat pinalalampas ng administrasyon. Dapat magpaliwanag si Secretary Andanar sa mga kalaswaan at kababuyan na nangyayari sa kanyang tanggapan na ginagawa ng mga tauhan niya gamit ang pondo, oras, at kagamitan ng gobyerno.
(Lewdness and vulgarity are what they're doing, not public service. This disgrace should not go unnoticed by this administration. Secretary Andanar must explain for the acts of his personnel using government resources.)
Senator Risa Hontiveros: Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson is the best promoter of President Rodrigo Duterte's fake federalism, infamous for its vulgarity and cheap antics to railroad it through an undemocratic and Senate-less charter change, postponement of the 2019 elections, and term extension. With her as promoter, the Duterte government's sham federalism now has zero credibility.
Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV: Hindi lahat ng bagay nadadaan sa kabastusan. Lalo na kapag kinabukasan ng bayan ang pinag-uusapan. Sana nabigyan ng respeto ang ating Konstitusyon at mga Pilipinong nagsakripisyo para rito. Sa halip, naging malaswang joke time lang ng administrasyon ang cha-cha at kalagayan ng bansa.
(Not all things can be done in a vulgar way, especially when the country's future is at stake. Our Constitution and the Filipinos who sacrificed for it should have been respected. Instead, cha-cha and the state of the nation have became subjects of a lewd joke of this administration.)
Palace Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux "Mocha" Uson on Monday fired back at senators who criticized her over a controversial video that made light of the federalism debate in government.
The video that Uson shared to her 5.6 million Facebook followers last week shows Drew Olivar, her co-host in an online game show, dancing and cheering "Ipepe, ipepe. Idede, idede. Ipede, pede, pede, pederalismo!"
Some senators slammed the video for supposed obscenity and lack of substance.
Uson, however, said it was the senators who showed disrespect when they supposedly ignored allegations of cheating during the 2016 elections and prevented lawyer Glenn Chong from speaking on the issue.
(I've long held my tongue about some senators here. You have been playing games with the public for a long time...Who is worse between us? Your salary and funds are big, but where do you use these? I received nothing from the federalism drive, yet you say that I disrespected it. You are the ones disrespecting the truth.)
(Why are you stopping Atty. Glenn Chong and diverting attention away from the issue? Did you benefit from it? Did you friends gain from it? You are the ones who are disrespectful.)
During Monday's continuation of the Senate hearing on election issues, Chong talked at least 3 times and even presented a slideshow to lawmakers, Sen. Koko Pimentel said in a statement.
"Iba ata meaning nila ng word na TALK," he said of the accusation that Chong was barred from speaking.
(They seem to have a different definition of the word 'talk.')
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, meanwhile, said Uson's allegations do not warrant a reply.
"Maliwanag naman na maka Duterte man o hindi na mga senador lahat sumasangayon na kabastusan ang ginawa niya kaya hindi na kailangan sagutin pa ang depensa nya," he said in a separate statement.
(It was clear that whether senators are pro-Duterte or not, everyone agreed that what she did was vulgar so there is no need to respond to her defense.)
Since her appointment, the actions of Uson have “time and again proven to be in poor taste,” PIA Director General Harold Clavite said in a Facebook post on Tuesday night.
Amid public outrage over the “Pepedederalismo” jingle-video, Clavite blasted Uson for her “display of an utter lack of judgment and have maligned our profession as government communicators.”
“I can no longer let her obscure and vilify my honest work in helping the President, this government, and this country, as well as the efforts that we have painstakingly and patiently put into place under my leadership in PIA for the past two years,” Clavite said.
“I have served alongside PCOO and all its attached agencies under the good leadership of Secretary Martin Andanar, and as far as I’m concerned, Ms. Uson’s actions since her appointment have time and again proven to be in poor taste,” he added.
“As a public servant and being part of the PCOO family, I take great offense in Ms. Uson’s actions, which continuously damage the rectitude of my communication and public information agenda,” Clavite said.
"Yes, ethical standards have been breached…Well, if we look at RA [6713], yes," she said during an interview on One New's Channel's The Chiefs, aired on Wednesday, August 8.
Republic Act No 6713 is known as the "Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees."
Badoy also said of Uson: "I think Asec Mocha reminds us of a lot of hypocrisies in our society and she makes us face them, the things inside ourselves, because we are such a hypocritical society."
Despite this violation of the ethics code, Uson will so far only be slapped with a "written reminder" to be consistent with laws on gender.
Badoy said Communications Secretary Martin Andanar asked her to issue the reminder to USon.
"He asked me to, as head of GAD (Gender And Development) of the PCOO, to give her a written reminder," said Badoy.
"She has to align with the laws regarding gender and development, all the laws and the rules," said Badoy.
Andanar gave her these instructions during a meeting where they were discussing budget matters. Uson was not present.
Badoy admitted other PCOO officials were "shocked" by Uson's video with blogger Drew Olivar, a video taken inside Malacañang grounds. (READ: Is Mocha Uson above reprimand?)
"As expected, some of us are really shocked by it and we wish that she would have been a bit more circumspect but as the President said, she does have the right to free expression," said Badoy.
Here Lorraine Badoy shows us all just how stupid she really is. First she says ethical standards have been breached and then cites the law and tells Rappler that PCOO Sec. Andanar directed her to give Mocha Uson a written reminder. Then she says Mocha has the right to free expression! But as a government employee who is bound to government rules and who is being reminded of these rules it is obvious that Mocha does not have the right to free expression except in so far as it conforms to those rules!
This lady is not very bright.
Uson has been either in denial of the gravity of her offense, or rationalizing it. In the process she has continued to expose her lack of competence for the office of assistant secretary.
First, she claimed the video was spliced and taken out of context; it was for a “game show” in which participants came up with funny jingles and dance routines. At any rate, it was not her who did the lewd dance but Olivar; it wasn’t taxpayer-funded as Olivar wasn’t paid for his services; and anyway, it got people finally talking about federalism.
We could just imagine what kind of creativity Uson and Olivar would have put into a federalism video given a proper budget. Sen. Grace Poe is right — Congress needs to scrutinize the P100-million budget increase for 2019 requested by the Presidential Communications Operations Office, where Uson works as assistant secretary.
Her absurd rationalization failing to fly, Uson then shifted the topic and feigned outrage at why people were outraged over her video and not the supposed fraud that happened in the 2016 elections. This takes the cake as far as proof of Uson’s incompetence is concerned — she couldn’t even construct a proper red-herring argument.
Assistant Secretary Esther Margaux “Mocha” Uson has been the Yellows’ nightmare ever since she supported Duterte during the electoral campaign. Her role in forming public opinion has been tremendous, and growing.
Even if one considers that “pepedederalismo” thing as a huge gaffe, “debasing the federalism discourse,” as the editorial pompously put it, one still certainly can’t ignore Uson’s huge role in rallying Filipinos —whether you like it or — in support of Duterte’s administration and its radical reform programs.
If you’ve been following Uson’s blog, it’s just been one of the her many very educational postings on federalism. The sanctimonious outrage against that “ pepedederalismo” and the demand for her to be fired is of the same genre as the Yellows’ paroxysms over Duterte’s “Stupid God” description of the biblical deity. Have some sense of humor, guys.
It would take another column to dissect why Mocha has become, to use the term of a news site that is hardly one, a thought leader, in fact, one of the most influential thought leaders today: Her building up of a base based on entertainment and even sex-education videos, her jumping into social media very early with her blog online in 2006, her sex appeal, her grasp of what is interesting to the masses, her stance of not being quarrelsome (she even posted a selfie of her with one of her vitriolic critics Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th), her non-elite aura appealing to ordinary Filipinos, her extensive use of videos reporting her interviews with newsmakers, and of course the dynamics of the new, unexpected expanding world of social media.
Duterte must instead appoint her as Presidential Social Media Adviser with the rank of secretary, and a member of the Cabinet, relieved of any routine administrative work so her tasks will consist solely of expanding her Facebook, Twitter, and newspaper column’s reach. Duterte must mobilize resources for Mocha to increase her blog’s followers to at least 10 million in a year’s time, which will require the use of expensive internet technology, the kind the formerly foreign-funded, now Yellow-financed, Rappler has been employing.
That would make the Yellows totally insane.
As you can see there are opinions all over the place about Mocha's video and the sexy federalism dance. Will this hurt her career? No. After all there are no standards of decency in the Philippines when it comes to government officials. Short of the Ombudsman barring one from service there is nothing any official can do that will shame them enough to leave office even if their actions are quite shameful and everyone tells them to apologise and take a leave of absence.
Like any proud Pinoy government official accused of a crime or shameful acts Mocha has declared her innocence, assailed her critics, and dug in her heels. She isn't going anywhere unless Duterte says so.
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