Panelo in disbelief: ‘Mocha lost? I can’t believe that’

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo expressed disbelief that former communications assistant secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson’s party-list did not get even a single seat in Congress.

“Bakit, talo si Mocha (Mocha lost)? Parang I can’t believe that,” Panelo told reporters in Malacañang after he was asked to comment on AA Kasosyo party-list’s failure to secure a Congressional seat.

Based on partial and unofficial tally as of 5:01 p.m. on Wednesday, Uson’s party-list has so far received 116,815 votes, but it failed to reach the requirement of one percent of total votes to get at least one seat in Congress.

Panelo said Mocha, who has at least five million Facebook followers may have been overconfident and did not concentrate on the campaign.

“Hindi siya nakakuha—eh isa lang ang ibig sabihin niyan: Hindi siya nag-concentrate sa pagkampaniya (She didn’t even get a single seat. It only means one thing. She didn’t concentrate on the campaign),” he said.

“Baka she was overconfident considering na she has five million followers and most of them are overseas na bumuboto. Kasi alam ko nangangampaniya siya for others (Maybe she was overconfident considering that she has five million followers and most of them are overseas voters. I know she had campaigned for others),” he added.

Panelo said he found it “incredible” that Uson’s party-list did not win.

The Palace official said Uson’s party-list might have won if it was named after her.

“Eh hindi naman Mocha ang partylist eh. Siguro kung Mocha Partylist, aba’y baka overwhelming

(The name of the party-list is not Mocha. Maybe if it’s called Mocha party-list, it could have been overwhelming),” he said.

Uson, who campaigned for Duterte in the 2016 presidential election, had worked as communications assistant secretary, but lawmakers demanded his resignation for failing to appear in a Congressional hearing on his agency’s budget for 2019. (Editor: Eden Estopace)