Andanar: Only Duterte can remove Mocha
Published Sep 30, 2018 02:53 pm
By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said that only President Duterte can remove Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) assistant secretary Mocha Uson despite calls from within his agency of her sacking.
PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar (PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Andanar made the statement after Philippine Information Agency (PIA) director-general Harold Clavite said Uson should resign due to her recent blunder in the PCOO.
The House of Representatives deferred the proposed budget of the PCOO for 2019 early this week because of Uson's absence. Lawmakers were looking forward to question Uson.
In an interview, Andanar said only Duterte can fire Uson because the President was the one who appointed her to her current post in government.
"isang tao lamang ang puwedeng magpabitiw kay Asec. Mocha Uson at iyan po ay ang ating mahal na Pangulo dahil siya lamang ang appointing authority kay Asec. Mocha Uson. So ang sa akin lang ay kailangan respetuhin natin ang poder ni Pangulong Duterte sa pag-appoint kay Mocha Uson (There's only one person who can make Uson resign and that is the President because he's the appointing authority. For me, we should respect the President's decision to appoint her)," he said over Super Radyo DZBB.
"Huwag nating pangunahan ang Pangulo kung ano ang kaniyang plano (Let us not preempt the President's plans)," he added.
Andanar meanwhile commended Uson for keeping her cool even if Clavite had asked her many times to vacate her post in the PCOO.
"In fairness naman kay Mocha kahit na pinagbibitiw siya ni Director-General Clavite kumbaga umaabot doon sa punto na inaaway siya ni Clavite ay hindi pinapatulan ni Mocha dahil alam naman niya na si Presidente talaga iyong nag-appoint sa kaniya (In fairness to her even if Clavite kept on urging her to resign, she's not answering back because she knows the one who appointed her was the President)," he said.
Andanar then said he will just let Clavite and Uson say what they want as part of their freedom of expression and freedom of speech.
"Kapag si Mocha iyong nagsasalita at binibigyan ko ng karapatan at pinapahalagahan ko iyong kaniyang freedom of expression, freedom of speech, ay dapat ganoon din ako sa ibang mga kasamahan natin (When Uson speaks, I give importance to her freedom of expression, freedom of speech, the same way I do with other colleagues)," he said.
"Hindi natin pinipigil iyong kanilang karapatan na magsalita at magpaalam mo iyon, magpahiwatig ng kanilang masasabi (We are not stopping the from exercising their rights)," he added.
"Pero ganoon pa man ako ay naniniwala na—ay dapat itong mga bagay na ito ay pinag-uusapan lamang sa loob ng opisina (But even if we think of it like that, I believe that these things should be discussed among ourselves)," he continued.
Regarding their budget proposal worth, P1.41 billion Andanar said that Uson really needs to show up next time.
"Kailangan po talagang magpakita ni Asec. Mocha sa Kongreso para habang ini-interpolate ang ating kaibigang Congressman at Congressman Eric Olivarez ay dapat nandoon daw si Mocha sa gilid niya para pinapaliwanag ni Mocha kung ano iyong katanungan ng Makabayan bloc (Uson really needs to be there so she can explain whenever she is asked by the congressmen)," he said.
In an interview over GMA News TV, Clavite said that Uson's absence at the agency's budget hearing was only the latest of her mishaps as an assistant secretary.
"Filipino people have now seen what a Mocha Uson could do to governance," he said.
"Talk about the blunders that she has perpetrated towards this government, I think what she has done has clearly tarnished the brand and image of the President and his government," he added.
This was not the first time Uson was asked to resign. In August, Uson and fellow pro-Duterte social media personality Drew Olivar were criticized for the controversial "pepedederalismo" dance uploaded in her Facebook page.
The duo also faced public criticism when Olivar made a comical interpretation of the sign language. Uson is facing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for the said video made earlier this month.
PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar (PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Andanar made the statement after Philippine Information Agency (PIA) director-general Harold Clavite said Uson should resign due to her recent blunder in the PCOO.
The House of Representatives deferred the proposed budget of the PCOO for 2019 early this week because of Uson's absence. Lawmakers were looking forward to question Uson.
In an interview, Andanar said only Duterte can fire Uson because the President was the one who appointed her to her current post in government.
"isang tao lamang ang puwedeng magpabitiw kay Asec. Mocha Uson at iyan po ay ang ating mahal na Pangulo dahil siya lamang ang appointing authority kay Asec. Mocha Uson. So ang sa akin lang ay kailangan respetuhin natin ang poder ni Pangulong Duterte sa pag-appoint kay Mocha Uson (There's only one person who can make Uson resign and that is the President because he's the appointing authority. For me, we should respect the President's decision to appoint her)," he said over Super Radyo DZBB.
"Huwag nating pangunahan ang Pangulo kung ano ang kaniyang plano (Let us not preempt the President's plans)," he added.
Andanar meanwhile commended Uson for keeping her cool even if Clavite had asked her many times to vacate her post in the PCOO.
"In fairness naman kay Mocha kahit na pinagbibitiw siya ni Director-General Clavite kumbaga umaabot doon sa punto na inaaway siya ni Clavite ay hindi pinapatulan ni Mocha dahil alam naman niya na si Presidente talaga iyong nag-appoint sa kaniya (In fairness to her even if Clavite kept on urging her to resign, she's not answering back because she knows the one who appointed her was the President)," he said.
Andanar then said he will just let Clavite and Uson say what they want as part of their freedom of expression and freedom of speech.
"Kapag si Mocha iyong nagsasalita at binibigyan ko ng karapatan at pinapahalagahan ko iyong kaniyang freedom of expression, freedom of speech, ay dapat ganoon din ako sa ibang mga kasamahan natin (When Uson speaks, I give importance to her freedom of expression, freedom of speech, the same way I do with other colleagues)," he said.
"Hindi natin pinipigil iyong kanilang karapatan na magsalita at magpaalam mo iyon, magpahiwatig ng kanilang masasabi (We are not stopping the from exercising their rights)," he added.
"Pero ganoon pa man ako ay naniniwala na—ay dapat itong mga bagay na ito ay pinag-uusapan lamang sa loob ng opisina (But even if we think of it like that, I believe that these things should be discussed among ourselves)," he continued.
Regarding their budget proposal worth, P1.41 billion Andanar said that Uson really needs to show up next time.
"Kailangan po talagang magpakita ni Asec. Mocha sa Kongreso para habang ini-interpolate ang ating kaibigang Congressman at Congressman Eric Olivarez ay dapat nandoon daw si Mocha sa gilid niya para pinapaliwanag ni Mocha kung ano iyong katanungan ng Makabayan bloc (Uson really needs to be there so she can explain whenever she is asked by the congressmen)," he said.
In an interview over GMA News TV, Clavite said that Uson's absence at the agency's budget hearing was only the latest of her mishaps as an assistant secretary.
"Filipino people have now seen what a Mocha Uson could do to governance," he said.
"Talk about the blunders that she has perpetrated towards this government, I think what she has done has clearly tarnished the brand and image of the President and his government," he added.
This was not the first time Uson was asked to resign. In August, Uson and fellow pro-Duterte social media personality Drew Olivar were criticized for the controversial "pepedederalismo" dance uploaded in her Facebook page.
The duo also faced public criticism when Olivar made a comical interpretation of the sign language. Uson is facing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for the said video made earlier this month.