Andanar: Mocha not federalism spokesperson material

Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson may help in educating the public about federalism but not as a spokesperson for the information campaign, her boss said Monday.

"Puwede naman siyang tumulong pero hindi spokesperson. Hindi official spokesperson," Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar told reporters in Malacañang.

"My job here is to put my foot down and say this is not what PCOO and the entire inter-agency [task force] talked about. What we talked about last Tuesday [July 31] was ano 'yung communications strategy, ano 'yung content, ano 'yung final message na gagawin ng DILG para ma-package ng PCOO so we can bring it to the provinces, regions."

Andanar did not say on how Uson can help but she earlier said that she will use social media to explain the merits of federalism being pushed by President Rodrigo Duterte. 

The PCOO chief gave the reaction after Uson's "Good News Game Show" segment where co-host Drew Olivar did a dance about federalism, drawing flak from netizens and government officials alike.

Andanar said it was Consultative Committee (Con-com) spokesperson Ding Generoso’s “own volition” to get Uson for the information campaign and that the inter-agency task force has yet to appoint spokespersons to help the public understand the proposed shift to federal form of government.

He said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea wants to get the assistance of experts on law and federalism for the information campaign subject to the approval of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

For his part, Generoso clarified "there has never been any idea" to name Uson the spokesperson for the federalism information drive.

"Having a particular spokesperson for federalism is not part of the information-dissemination program," he said in a statement, adding that Uson's role in the campaign would be part of her official duties as a PCOO assistant secretary.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the federalism campaign will kick off this month.

"The roadshow for federalism will be commenced this month of August, kasama po iyong mga materyales na ginawa po ng DILG in coordination with academics, iyong mga miyembro rin ng Consultative Committee. Wag po kayong mag-aalala, magsisimula na po ang roadshow at dissemination activities para diyan," Roque said at a press conference in Davao Occidental.

Duterte has been pushing for a shift to a federal form of government as a means to address national economic and power imbalances as well as problems peculiar to his native Mindanao like underdevelopment and armed conflict.

The federalism initiative is now pending in Congress. — with a report by Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/KBK/BM, GMA News