Poe seeks Senate probe on federalism info drive

Senator Grace Poe has asked the Senate to conduct an inquiry on the information campaign of the Consultative Committee and the Presidential Communications Operations Office on the proposed shift to federalism amid the controversial video posted by Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson.

In Resolution 821, Poe said it is important that “public office is a public trust and officials must, at all times, exercise professionalism in the performance of their functions.”

She noted the ConCom tapped Uson as a campaigner for federalism due to her strong presence in social media. The Palace communications official, in turn, vowed to simplify the explanation of federalism.

The senator said some P90 million in public funds have been allocated for the information drive.

She said Uson’s latest antics “reek of impropriety and disrespect to the Con-com nor it helps alleviate public discourse.”

“The video which showcased toilet humor on a rather serious issue does not help explain federalism to the people, especially at a time when only 37 percent of Filipinos support the shift to a federal system of government and only one out of four Filipinos are even aware of what federalism is while another survey indicated that 62 percent of Filipinos reject a change to federalism for now,” she said.

During the budget hearing, senators asked why a fund has already been allocated when a federalism program has yet to be approved.

Several other senators have expressed readiness to scrutinize the budget of PCOO.

Poe has challenged the PCOO to justify its P100 million proposed budget increase. 

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, who defended the 2018 budget of the PCOO last year, predicted that the budget will face rough sailing. 

Senator Joel Villanueva also said he will make sure that PCOO deserves every peso it gets.  — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News