Pacquiao on Mocha’s video: Federalism is no joke

Sen. Manny Pacquiao (File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Even Senator Manny Pacquiao was not happy with the lewd video on federalism, saying the issue is no joke.

“Yes napanood ko na ‘yung video (Yes, I’ve watched the video),” Pacquiao told reporters on Tuesday when sought for comment on the video that went viral because of the “pepedederalismo” jingle.

“Para sa akin, sino ‘yun? ‘Di ko kilala kung sino ‘yung lalaki… (For me, who’s that? I don’t know the guy [in the video])” he said, apparently referring to pro-Duterte blogger, Andrew Oliver, who was performing the controversial jingle.

The video was uploaded last week on the Facebook page of Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson.

“Ang pag-explain ng federalism ay hindi biro, kelangang seryosong usapin, [para] maiintindihan ng taumbayan ‘yung kahalagahan ng federalism sa ating bansa,” Pacquiao said.

(Explaining federalism is not a joke; the issue should be discussed seriously so the people would understand the importance of federalism in our country.)

Despite this new controversy involving Uson, the senator still believes that the budget given to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) was not a waste of people’s money.

“Masipag naman sila. Ginagampanan ‘yung trabaho nila, at dadaan naman sila parang cross examination dito sa Senate. Tatanungin naman natin kung paano nagastos ang pera, saan dinala,” he said.

(They are hard-working. They do their job and they will still go through a cross-examination here in the Senate. We will ask them how they spent their money, where it went.)

Some legislators are threatening to either cut or give the PCOO a zero budget next year because of the controversy. /je

READ: Villarin wants #ZeroBudgetPCOO after Mocha’s ‘Pepedederalismo’ jingle