PCOO USec on Mocha: We cannot actually fire her

FILE: Former DSWD ASec Lorraine Badoy (Photo: Lorraine Marie T. Badoy/Facebook)

After her controversial federalism dance video drew flak from netizens and government officials, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary (ASec) cannot be fired despite “breaching ethical standards.”

This is according to PCOO Undersecretary (USec) Lorraine Badoy in an interview in The Chiefs aired on Wednesday, August 8.

Badoy, both a staunch supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte and a blogger like Uson, confirmed that the ASec really violated Republic Act (RA) 6713 or an act of establishing a code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees, to uphold the time-honored principle of public office being a public trust, granting incentives and rewards for exemplary service, enumerating prohibited acts and transactions and providing penalties for violations thereof and for other purposes.

However, she said that they cannot fire Uson over this, but only issue her a written reminder.

“The official stand of the PCOO is to just remind ASec. Mocha. I think the Secretary just spoke to her and that’s about it, well she is a presidential appointee and we cannot actually fire her,” she stated.

Badoy then added, “It’s the presidential prerogative. Uson has to align with the laws regarding gender and development, all the laws and rules.”

The Communications USec admitted that she with some PCOO staff were shocked by the video shot in Uson’s office, featuring the Asec with co-host Drew Olivar who was seen gesturing to his chest and crotch areas singing “ipepe idede ipederalismo.”

“We wish that she would have been a bit more circumspect but as the president said, she does have the right to free expression,” Badoy commented.

She was referring to Presidential Harry Roque, Jr.’s recent statement that the President was “cool” with Uson’s recent video, though Duterte admitted that there was a better way to talk about Charter change (Cha-cha)

“It’s freedom of expression. He is a staunch believer of freedom of expression, that’s why he curses frequently. So do not stop him. He is not stopping anyone,” Roque said in a press briefing.

Badoy then further said that she is fascinated with Mocha for being able to “trigger a lot of people.”

“And I think it’s very good for us as a country because I think Asec. Mocha reminds us of a lot of hypocrisy in our society and she makes us face them, the things inside herself because we’re such a hypocritical society. This is what I find fascinating about Asec. Mocha,” she said.

Apart from several senators, Uson also drew criticism from a government official under PCOO – Philippine Information Agency (PIA) head Harold Clavite.

[READ: PIA head urges Mocha Uson to apologize, take a leave]

Clavite broke his silence regarding the issue to give importance to the “massive man-hours” the PIA has exhausted just to provide seminars and workshops to all stakeholders in public information