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Nancy Binay tells Mocha: Do you want to be a blogger or an assistant secretary?


Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday said it is time for Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson to decide whether she wants to be a full-time blogger or a government official.

Binay said this during the Senate public information committee hearing on fake news, where Uson reiterated that her Facebook page Mocha Uson Blog publishes posts based solely on her personal opinion.

Binay, however, pointed out that Uson cannot use as an excuse her capacity as a private individual to defend her political posts.

“Malinaw na malinaw na at this point in time, Asec. Uson, hindi mo na pwede ihiwalay yung pagiging blogger at pagiging Asec mo. I guess, para malinaw talaga, baka it’s high time for you to decide kung gusto mo maging blogger or kung gusto mo maging Asec,” Binay said.

Uson was appointed as assistant secretary at the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) last May 2017.

During the hearing, opposition Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV confronted Uson on the issue of fairness, saying the latter has never tried to get his side despite the repeated attacks on Uson’s social media posts.

“Sa dami-dami ng mga blog mo tungkol sa’min dito, may isang beses ba na humingi ka ng side namin?” Aquino said, referring to members of the Senate minority bloc.

Aquino repeatedly asked Uson, who answered that she is just a blogger, not a journalist. Uson runs the Facebook page Mocha Uson Blog.

Uson refused to answer, invoking her right against self-incrimination.

“On the grounds of?” Aquino answered back. Uson said she refuses to answer the question.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, for her part, cited a report quoting Communications Secretary Andanar that bloggers also have to follow the journalists’ code of ethics. — RSJ, GMA News

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