Blogger turned PCOO Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson was put on a Senate hot seat on Wednesday (October 40) afternoon on the hearing on fake news by the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media.
During the senate hearing, Senator Bam Aquino confronted Uson for stating that a lot of mainstream media did not get her side before publishing news articles, while she never got the side of others. “Sa dinami-daming mga blog mo tungkol sa amin dito may isang beses ba na humingi ka ng side namin? In your case never kang humingi ng side ng nilagay mong blog dito. In fact the other day may blog ka sa Senate minority. May isang beses ka bang humingi ng side namin?,” Aquino asked.
Uson answered, “With all due respect, your honor, hindi po ako journalist… Blogger ako. Hindi ako journalist.”
“Yes or no may isang beses ba na humingi ka ng side namin?,” Aquino asked again.
Senator Grace Poe, chair of the committee, advised Uson by saying “You can say yes, no or that you refuse to answer but you have to justify why.”
“I refuse to answer,” Uson said.
Aquino asked again, “Because? On the grounds of?”
“I have the right to refuse, I have the right to.. I have the right, ano po? I have the right against self-discri-ano.. against self-incrimination. Pasensya na,” Uson said.
“Anong krimen ang tinutukoy mo Asec Mocha? Self-incrimination presupposes may krimen na pinapataw sa’yo,” Aquino asked.
Uson said she would no longer answer the senator’s questions, saying they were changing the issue.
After the said hearing, Mocha admitted, “Salamat po sa mga nanood kanina. Aaminin ko po na ako ay kinabahan at nabigla.”
She explained the funny scenario, “Ang pagkaalam ko po ay kami ay resource person lang po ngunit tila may ilang Senador na kami ay ginisa at pinagalitan. Salamat nalang kay Sen Grace Poe sa patas na pagtrato sa lahat ng resource person. Nakakataranta po talaga kaya ako po ay nagkamali sa “self-discrimination” na agad kong binawi.”
Mocha also added, “Hindi po ako matalino tulad ng ilang journalists at bloggers ngunit atleast tayo po ay totoong tao at hindi duwag ipaglaban ang ating bayan at ating Pangulo. At patungkol sa personal kong opinion, ito ay atin ipagpapatuloy ngunit mag-iingat pa at magiging responsable sa ating mga post. Maraming salamat po.”
