Complaint filed at Ombudsman vs. Mocha Uson, blogger over controversial sign language video

Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and blogger Andrew Olivar are  facing a complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman for supposedly mocking the sign language widely used by the deaf community.

On Thursday, members and allies of the persons with disabilities (PWD) community filed a complaint against Uson and Olivar at the anti-graft body. It earlier lodged a complaint at the Commission on Human on Rights that is now under investigation.

Philippine Deaf Resource Center executive director Dr. Liza Martinez said they charged Uson for violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, the Civil Code of the Philippines, the Cybercrime Prevention Act, the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Uson, through her Facebook account, posted a video of blogger Olivar flailing his arms around pretending to do the sign language. He could also be heard making squeaking sounds.

The video quickly drew flak from netizens and non-government organizations such as PFD, which had expressed anger over the actions of Uson and Olivar.

Dagani says the deaf community cannot accept the apology of Uson. She also called for Uson’s resignation or for President Duterte to remove her from office. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/TfyYV4FDDr

— TJ Roxas (@tj_roxas) September 20, 2018

Philippine Federation of the Deaf president Carolyn Dagani called the video as an insult to their community when the two respondents ridiculed them in a public post.

“Mocha Uson and Drew Olivar were laughing and making fun of us. Together, they stepped all over us and crushed us, killing our dignity. If only they realized what a rich visual language our Filipino sign language is,” Dagani said in her affidavit.

“Deaf people do not make fun of hearing people when they speak and use spoken languages and yet Mocha Uson and Drew Olivar have mocked us. This is discrimination,” she added.

Bad example

Uson and Olivar have since apologized for any offense the video had caused. She also requested the deaf community to accept her apology.

But Dagani and fellow complainant, Philippine Coalition on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities convenor Lauro Purcil, said their community cannot accept the apology.

“We don’t accept. There’s so many deaf people that we have asked and I’d like to tell you that they don’t accept [the] apology,” Dagani said in sign language, as interpreted by Martinez.

Dagani and Purcil said the video also set a bad example, saying their community may further be disrespected following the ridicule they received from Uson and Olivar.

They particularly said Uson should be more prudent in her actions being a high-ranking government official tasked for information dissemination.

“What kind of role model is she? What kind of example is she showing to others? Not only to us but to all Filipinos as well. It’s easy for them to apologize and change their minds. But this will really set a bad example if it is not penalized,” Dagani said.

“Siya ay dapat magbigay ng tamang halimbawa at tamang impormasyon na may paggalang sa tao at sa mga kapwa naming may kapansanan. Hindi dapat itolerate yan. Ang gobyerno dapat may paggalang sa mamamayan may kapansanan man o wala. Bakit ganoon na walang siyang ethics?" Purcil said.

Dagani urged Uson to resign or for President Rodrigo Duterte to remove her from office.

Dagani, Purcil, and Martinez clarified they are filing the complaints in their personal capacity and not as representatives of their respective organizations.

This is the third complaint against Uson at the Ombudsman following the previous ones filed by Akbayan Youth and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV over her alleged spreading of fake news. — RSJ, GMA News