The likes of Mocha
After the public service award fiasco and the subsequent Mt. Mayon gaffe, let us all give Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson a break. Being disowned by your own school and its general population says a lot about her credibility. No sense of rubbing salt into the wound.
In a grand scheme of things, she’s just a pawn to the intricate political game waged by the current administration.
One shouldn’t expect a smart statement or intelligent discourse coming from her. She is who she is and she’s being paid for what she brings to the table.
She was not appointed by Malacañang on the basis of merits, competence or academic qualifications. She was appointed to her position at PCOO for her unwavering loyalty to President Duterte and her zeal for defending him no matter what it takes. That is all there is to it, nothing more, nothing less.
On the strength of her blind loyalty and millions of followers on social media, Malacañang has found a good use for her. Warding off critics, sowing intrigue, instigating hate and division, maligning opposition figures, purveying of fake news (these are all documented) … name it and the likes of Mocha and those other paid propagandists will readily do it.
In this contemporary time where public opinions are mostly shaped by social media, an unapologetic mouthpiece with a large following is a
valued prize.
Remember, divide and conquer is the ever present method of fascism. Now that the government is tilting toward authoritarianism, they need many Mochas more than ever to keep opposition at bay and the people divided. Different times but same tactics and the likes of Mocha are indispensable in this grand scheme.
On hindsight, there were Mochas before Mocha, and there will always be Mochas long after Mocha is gone or when she has served her purpose. While it’s easy to get distracted by Mocha’s antics and ignorance, let’s not lose sight of the powers that be that employ the likes of her.
OLIVER J. FORTUNO, [email protected]
