Cha-cha is dead, thanks to Mocha — Rep. Erice

Communication Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson with Assistant Presidential Communications Secretary Ana Marie Banaag in a meeting at Malacañang New Executive bldg. PDI/JOAN BONDOC

Charter-change is dead, thanks to Asec. Mocha.

Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice said this on Monday after a jingle performed by a pro-Duterte blogger in Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson’s video blog made rounds on social media.

The lyrics of the jingle, performed by a certain Drew Olivar in the video blog, include the line: “I-pepe, i-pepe, i-dede, i-dede, pepe pepe pederalismo!” The jingle was part of a video blog posted on Uson’s Facebook page “MOCHA USON BLOG” last Thursday.

Opposition lawmaker Erice said that this has revealed that “even the officials of Malacañang don’t know anything about federalism that they resort to cheap gimmickry.”

“Good for our country though, it exposes the weakness of the proposal and I would say Cha-cha is DEAD. Thanks to Asec. Mocha!” he added.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat also questioned if the “lewd” and “shallow” jingle was funded by taxpayers’ money.

“Malaswa, mababaw, binasbastos nila ang opisina nila sa Malacañang. ‘Di nila naisip na isa itong napakahalagang usapin at binababoy nila ang pagpapaliwanag nito,” Baguilat lamented.

(It’s lewd, shallow, and it’s insulting to their office in Malacañang. They didn’t think that this is an important discussion and they’re besmirching it.)

“Pero ang mas mahalagang tanong ay kung ito ba ay pinaggastosan ng pera ng bayan? Bilang ASEC sa PCOO at isa sa inatasan ng Pangulo na mamuno sa IEC sa federalism, naglaan sila ng pondo sa isang defective na campaign. Isa itong katiwalian kung ganun,” he added.

(But a more important question here is if national funds were used in this. As Asec of the PCOO and one of those tasked by the President to head the IEC on federalism, they gave funds to a defective campaign. This is corruption if that’s the case.)

Ding Generoso, spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Consultative Committee (Con-com), said the jingle was not part of their information drive for federalism.

READ: Lewd jingle not part of federalism drive, says Con-com spokesman

Many senators have also criticized the jingle, with Senator Aquilino Pimentel III saying Uson should stay away from federalism campaign and take a leave.

READ: Koko to Mocha: Keep off federalism campaign, take a leave | Senators twit Mocha’s federalism jingle

But Uson defended her “Pepedederalismo” jingle video with Olivar, saying it was meant to get Filipinos to talk about federalism. /je

READ: Mocha defends ‘Pepedederalismo’ jingle: We just want people to talk about federalism

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