Nancy to Mocha: Decide – blogger or Asec?

MANILA, Philippines — Because the law does not allow government personnel to dissociate from their official identities, Senator Nancy Binay told Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson “it’s high time for you to decide if you want to be a blogger or an asec.”

Uson, who has used her substantial social media following to both support President Rodrigo Duterte and to attack his critics and other perceived foes, including mainstream media, was with fellow officials of the Presidential Communications Operations Office who showed up at the hearing into “fake news” on Wednesday, October 4, by the Senate committee on public information and mass media chaired by Senator Grace Poe.

Also attending was another pro-administration social media personality, Rey Joseph Nieto, who is behind the blog “Thinking Pinoy.”

During the hearing, Binay cited Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical standards for Public Officials and Employees and said as government officials, “we cannot use excuse of doing things in our private capacities.”

“At this point hindi mo puwedeng ihiwalay yung pagiging blogger mo sa pagiging Asec mo (You cannot dissociate your being a blogger from your being an Asec),” Binay pointed out to Uson before asking her to decide which she wants to be.

Instead of doing so, Uson said she was “exercising my right to freedom of expression and speech.”

Earlier, Uson, who slammed media for producing and spreading “fake news,” claiming she herself had been a victim of this and that her side on issues had never been sought, was engaged in an exchange by Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, who asked her if she, as a blogger, had ever sought the side of the Senate minority when criticizing them.

“Blogger po ako, hindi po ako journalist,” Uson replied.

When Aquino pressed her on the issue, she refused to answer, claiming she had the right to do so and subsequently invoking her right against self-incrimination.

It was pointed out to her that she could only invoke this right if she was accused of committing a crime.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri cut in, cautioning against “embarrassing” resource persons but Aquino pointed out that the resolution on which the hearing was based “talks of grievances” and could not, therefore, be limited to the gripes of a few “because we should talk of fake news in general.”

But when asked again by Aquino whether she had sought the side of the minority or not, Uson evaded the question insisting that “karapatan po ng blogger ‘yun kung hingin ang side ng isang tao (It is the blogger’s right to get the side of a person or not)” because a blog is “opinion-based.”

Poe asked the PCOO to submit the duties and functions of its officials.

She then cited a new article quoting Communications Secretary Martin Andanar as saying bloggers should follow the same code of ethics as journalist.

Assistant Secretary Ana Maria Banaag said that was “his opinion but it’s not a policy.”