Starlet-turned-political commentator-turned-communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson is changing the image of journalism in the Philippines with her ardent support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration and blatant criticism of media giants.
From regaining popularity during the 2016 election period on her Facebook page entitled MOCHA USON BLOG, the Mocha Girls lead vocalist has also forayed into the film industry as ambassadress of the Metro Manila Film Festival and board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board; into the broadcasting industry as a podcast host; and into public service with her most recent post as assistant secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations (PCOO).
Due to her relentless disdain for Duterte’s critics, Uson’s perception results in her relaying misinformation to the masses, thus withdrawing the people’s trust from prominent stations and news organs. Although free speech is a practice promoted in the country, her way of biased expression shadows the fact that what she says only comes out of her mouth and is often unaccompanied by research, standing merely as an assumption or even an accusation.
While Uson’s bio on her blog says “NOT a journalist. Just an ORDINARY FILIPINO”, her posts always aim to illegitimize the Philippine media and their practice. However, her attempts at discrediting other media outlets often lead to her own downfall, for Uson has also been called a purveyor of fake news and misinformation in several instances. In one, she posted a news report from October 2015 praising the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s system for packing 50,000 relief goods, but credited it to Duterte, saying “That’s how much the Duterte administration values the ordinary Filipino.”
Another recent controversy was in May when she used a picture of Central American policemen and passed them off as Filipino soldiers fighting against Maute forces in Marawi. Perhaps one of the biggest incidents that sparked outrage from netizens was when Uson posted a photo of a Brazilian girl who was allegedly raped and murdered, but blamed it on the Commission on Human Rights’ (CHR) indifference and inaction.
Despite critics questioning Uson’s credentials for she was a Medical Technology graduate from University of Sto. Tomas, Uson earns a monthly gross salary amounting to P106,454, as per the Department of Budget Management. As of writing, Uson has about 5.3 million likes on her page, a dull number when likened to that of ABS-CBN News and GMA News.
However when it comes to user engagement, she surpasses that of ABS-CBN and GMA combined, easily exceeding everyone else by over 100%. With over 5.2 million Facebook followers, her page triggers all types of reactions from support from her ka-DDS (Die-hard Duterte Supporters) to hate courtesy of people who question her intelligence.
Nonetheless, Uson is still firm on her stand that media giants such as ABS-CBN, GMA Network, Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler are “biased media”, even going as far as labeling them as “presstitutes.” While Uson insists that she is not a journalist, her influence on Filipino people is still widespread. Whether it be support or hate, any kind of publicity is still publicity, and her name is almost always included in most political discussions.
Her blog may serve as an avenue for freedom of speech, but it seems to do more harm than good, especially to Philippine media. However, because she insists that the media only reports Duterte’s mistakes, her millions of followers end up thinking the same way.
She may only be expressing her opinions, but the problem remains that her statements more often than not discredit the media, deeming them untrustworthy and corrupt.
Since social media has become a platform for voicing out opinions, it has also become a place for patterning one’s judgement. Instead of letting other opinions deter us from forming our own verdicts, we should see this as a call to thoroughly educate ourselves about a certain topic.
Uson’s posts may serve as quality information to some, but seeking out whether it is right or wrong, biased or not, must remain our top priority. According to the democratic theory, citizens must always be free to shape and control government, rather than the other way around.
