Mocha wants case filed vs person behind wrong Marawi photo

Courtesy of Galit Ako sa Corrupt at Krimen Facebook page

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson wanted the Palace communications office to slap with administrative charges the person from a government-run tabloid whom she said first shared a wrong image of Marawi City on social media.

In her letter dated October 26, Uson asked Communications Secretary Martin Andanar to file charges against the person from Mula sa Masa, Para sa Masa Facebook page who had shared the photo of a clean and untroubled Marawi City.

“I am therefore constrained to inquire with your office, as the appointing authority of the said unnamed person to conduct an investigation on the same, discover the name and designation of the person responsible for the offending picture and if the evidence warrants, initiate the appropriate administrative case against the said unnamed person,” read the letter, which was first posted on the Galit Ako sa Corrupt at Krimen Facebook page on Saturday.

Uson shared the said photo on October 23 with the caption: “Grabe naman ang bilis naman kumilos ng gobyerno.” (See how fast our government works.)

Netizens were quick to criticize Uson for her misleading post as the photo was taken on May 25, the third day of the Marawi City siege, for an online news website. Uson, however, said it was taken from the Mula sa Masa, Para sa Masa page, the social media account of the tabloid launched by Andanar in May.

In her complaint, the entertainer-turned-government official said that the news website that owned the photo “took no time” to write about it and blamed her and the PCOO for “fake news.”

Uson said that upon calling the attention of the page administrators in the PCOO Viber group, she was informed that the person who posted the photo “did not get clearance” to use the image.

“And upon further inquiry about the said unnamed person, was (sic) told that he or she had been dealt with,” she said.

Uson said she would be ready to execute all affidavits and submit evidence to support her complaint.

Sought for comment, Andanar said he had asked the management of Mula sa Masa, Para sa Masa, a division under the Bureau of Communications Services, to submit their reply in five days upon receipt of the letter request. /jpv

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