Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. AP File Photo
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said he is positive that Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson will win if she runs for the senatorial race in the 2019 elections.
“Kung winnability lang ang pag-usapan or ‘yung the possibility of winning ay talagang no-brainer na si Mocha, she can really draw the crowd in a Senate campaign, in a… ‘yung mga ano, miting de avance, ‘yung mga ganun ba ‘no. She can really draw a crowd,” Andanar said in a radio interview on Saturday.
(If we talk about winnability, it is a no-brainer that Mocha can really draw the crowd in a Senate campaign.)
With Uson’s social media followers, Andanar said she could easily clinch a seat in the Senate.
“Alam mo, si Mocha is a very popular person, part of being an Assistant Secretary ay marami siyang followers. Siguro hindi na naman ‘yan lingid sa kaalaman ng mga kababayan natin na talagang napakadami niyang followers sa social media at alam natin na 90 percent ng mga nasa world wide web, or sa social media o ‘yung mga may smart phones ay nasa Facebook ‘no. So you are talking about 40 million Filipinos on Facebook,” he said.
(You know Mocha is a very popular person, she has many followers. Apart from we know, she really has a lot of social media followers and as we know it, 90 percent in the world wide web or on social media and those with smart phone have a Facebook account.)
The communications secretary also congratulated Uson for being considered by PDP-Laban Secretary General and House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez as one of the Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) possible senatorial bets.
“Isang karangalan sa isang tao na mapasama sa isang listahan o ma-consider lalong lalo na ng Speaker of the House,” Andanar said.
(It is an honor for a person to be included in the list of being considered, especially by the House Speaker.)
Aside from Uson, Alvarez revealed the leading political party’s candidates on Friday as follows: former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Francis Tolentino; current Davao City representative Karlo Nograles; Bataan representative Geraldine Roman; Negros Occidental representative Albee Benitez; Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
But in a statement after Alvarez’ announcement, Uson clarified that she had no prior knowledge of this and she was in fact surprised by the Speaker’s announcement.
“Una po sa lahat, we attended the oathtaking of the new PDP Laban members upon the invitation of Presidential Assistant for Visayas, Michael Diño. Walang kahit anong political intention on my part sa pag punta doon,” Uson earlier said in a statement.
(First of all, we attended the oathtaking of the new PDP Laban members upon the invitation of Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Diño. I don’t have any political intention when I got there.)
“Kaya nagulat po ako ng sinasabi nila na inanunsyo raw po ni Speaker Alvarez na ako ay tatakbo bilang Senador, hindi ko po ito alam at hindi namin ito pinag usapan,” she added.
(That is why I was surprised when they said Speaker Alvarez announced I would be running for senator, I don’t know all of this and we haven’t talked about this.)
Despite this, Uson said she was “thankful and flattered” of Alvarez’ pronouncement.
“At kung tatakbo man po ako, eto po ay dahil si Pangulong Duterte na mismo ang nagpatakbo sa akin. Yan ay dahil sa ang akin lamang hangarin ay matulungan ang Duterte Administration na pagsilbihan ang bayan,” she said.
(And if ever I run, this is because President Rodrigo Duterte asked me to. That is part of my intention to help the Duterte administration to serve the country.)
READ: Mocha Uson on 2019 senatorial polls: Only Duterte can make me run
Meanwhile, PDP-Laban President Senator Aquilino Pimentel said Alavarez’ announcement is not yet official. /jpv