Mocha Uson says Pompeo won’t get any evidence to ban her entry to US

Mocha Uson, deputy administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, does not think that the entry ban to US of alleged persecutors of detained Senator Leila De Lima would prosper against her as she upheld that the Philippines' justice system is in place.

"Sa tingin ko po walang makukuhang ebidensya ang US Secretary of State dahil guni-guni lang naman ang sinasabi ni De Lima sa kanyang paratang sa Duterte Administration. Gumagana ang ating hustisya sa Pilipinas," Uson said in a text message to GMA News Online late Monday night.

Nevertheless, she acknowledged that the US government can bar the entry of whoever it deems right to prevent from setting foot on the country.

"Karapatan ng America na i-ban ang sinoman. Kung totoo man itong balita na ito, akin po itong tatanggapin," she said.

US President Donald Trump signed the United States 2020 national budget which has a provision banning the entry of Philippine government officials involved in the detention of Senator Leila de Lima.

It was stated that the ban shall apply to an official if US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would have "credible information" about his or her involvement in the "wrongful imprisonment" of De Lima who was arrested in February 2017.

Despite being on De Lima's initial list of persecutors, the former assistant secretary in the Presidential Communications Operations Office washed her hands off the senator's case.

"Kung gusto niyang magalit, magalit siya sa mga opisyal na may direktang kinalaman sa kanyang kaso. Bakit nadamay ang isang hamak na tulad ko na hindi naman parte sa pag-uusig sa kanya. Sino ba naman ako para maka-impluwensya dito," Uson said.

Uson lamented over how De Lima and her allies "act like dictators."

"Asal diktador dahil tulad nga po ng aking sinabi ang justice system sa ating bansa ay gumagana naman ng maayos. Ngunit gusto niya itong pangunahan at diktahan," she said.

De Lima was arrested in 2017 for drug-related charges which stemmed from allegations that she accepted bribes from imprisoned drug lords during her tenure as justice secretary under the Aquino administration.

The detained senator has repeatedly asserted her innocence and claimed that the charges were made up to silence her criticisms against the Duterte administration. — Dona Magsino/RSJ, GMA News