Roque on #ZeroBudgetPCOO call: ‘Huwag naman po’

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday defended the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) amid calls from outraged critics to cut the budget allocation for Malacañang’s communications arm.

“Huwag naman po. (Let’s not do this.) The PCOO is functioning also, it’s providing an indispensable role,” Roque said in a news forum.

“Kinakailangan natin ang mensahe ng Presidente na makarating sa taong-bayan at ‘yan po ang mandato ng PCOO (The message of the President should reach the public. That is the mandate of the PCOO),” he stressed.

Opposition lawmakers have escalated the “#ZeroBudgetPCOO” campaign on social media, advocating for a zero budget for the PCOO amid public outrage against PCOO Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson over a viral dance video meant to promote federalism.

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

In a video posted by Uson on Facebook, pro-Duterte blogger Drew Olivar was seen gesturing to his crotch and chest while chanting “i-pepe” (a Filipino slang word for the reproductive organ) and “i-dede” (slang word for breast).

But Roque stressed that “Mocha Uson is not synonymous with PCOO.”

“She is one of the workers of PCOO. PCOO has many workers who quietly do their jobs,” Roque said. /ee

READ: PCOO asks for higher budget of P1.41-B for 2019