MANILA (UPDATE) - Palace Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson was not appointed as part of the government’s information campaign on federalism, her superior Martin Andanar said Monday.
Andanar, head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, said it was Consultative Committee spokesperson Ding Generoso’s “own volition” to tap Uson to help in the government’s information drive on federalism.
“Asec Mocha was not appointed by the Pederalismo inter-agency. It was Spokesman Ding Generoso’s own volition. Again, there was no appointment from the inter-agency,” Andanar said in a statement, referring to the inter-agency task force formed to conduct a massive information drive on federalism down to the barangay level.
Andanar said his office or the inter-agency body tasked to hold an information drive on federalism has not approved Uson’s role yet.
Consultative committee spokesperson Ding Generoso earlier said he wanted to tap Uson to help spread information about federalism, given her wide reach in social media.
But Andanar believes Generoso should “disengage” on the proposal in the meantime as he plans to talk to Uson about the matter, adding that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea prefers that law experts discuss the matter in public.
Uson on Thursday shared to her 5.6 million Facebook followers an episode of "Good News Game Show" that she hosts with social media personality Drew Olivar, who danced at the start of the video, cheering "Ipepe, ipepe. Idede, idede. Ipede, pede, pede, pederalismo!"
The video, which has since gone viral, drew flak from senators and even members of the consultative committee that drafted the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution.