Mocha resigns

Saying she was making a “sacrifice,” controversial Assistant Communications Secretary Mocha Uson resigned from her post on Wednesday morning.

Uson announced her resignation during the hearing of the Senate committee on finance on the proposed budget of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) for next year.

Claiming that some lawmakers constantly delay deliberations on the budget of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) because of her, Uson said she was resigning to allow things to move on.

“Taon-taon ay sinasabihan ako na huwag punahin ang ilang mga mababatas para hindi ipitin ang budget ng PCOO. Nakakagalit man ngunit ganyan ang systema natin sa kasalukuyan. Bulok man ngunit ito kelangang sundin,” she told a hearing.

(Every year, I am told to ignore some lawmakers so that they won’t hold the PCOO budget hostage. It angers me but that is the present system. It’s rotten but we have to go with it.)

“At dahil dyan, ako na ang magsasakripisyo para maipasa na ang budget ng PCOO. Ako ay nagdesisyon nang magresign,” she added.

(Because of that, I am making the sacrifice so that the PCOO budget would pass. I have decided to resign.)

She vowed that her resignation was not the end, however.

“Para sa mga bumabatikos sa akin, huwag kayong magkakamaling isipin na nagtagumay kayo. Hindi ako nagbitiw sa position dahil takot akong harapin kayo. Gusto ko lang na pag nagkaharap tayo patas ang laban,” she said.

(To my detractors, don’t think you succeeded. I did not resign out of fear of facing you. I just want to make sure that when we cross paths, the fight would be even.)

Uson said left-leaning lawmakers, whom she did not name, were angry at her after she interviewed Lumad leaders who revealed that they were being used by the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.

Uson also accused some lawmakers of using their position to get back at government agencies that do not give in to their personal interests.

“Balang araw magkakaharap din tayo. Ngunit hindi tulad nyo na nagtatago sa inyong position, handa akong lumaban bilang isang ordinaryong Filipino kasama ng mga walang boses sa lipunan,” she said.

(We will meet one day. But unlike you who hide behind your position, I will fight as an ordinary Filipino standing together with those who have no voice in society.)

“Dadalhin ko ang laban sa Senado at Kongreso. Hindi ito katapusan ng laban. Umpisa pa lamang po ito,” she further said.

(I will bring the fight to the Senate and Congress. This is not the end. It is only the beginning.)

Before this, Uson was dragged into various controversies, including a lewd video of “pepederalismo” jingle with blogger-friend, Drew Olivar, and another video of them together mocking the sign language.

Uson and Olivar have apologized for mocking the sign language. /cbb