WE DENOUNCE the appointment of Mocha Uson as Owwa deputy executive director. This is unacceptable to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose mandatory contributions require provision of welfare protection!

Mocha Uson has no qualification to represent the OFWs. As a matter of fact, she put the lives and security of Filipino workers in Kuwait when she was the PCOO assistant secretary appointed by President Duterte.

According to reports, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) is currently under probe on the following: 1) findings of the Commission on Audit regarding P39-million questionable expenses related to the 2017 Philippine hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit; 2) increase of its expenses for domestic and foreign travel. The agency’s foreign travel expenses spiked from P15 million in 2016 to P42 million in 2017 while domestic travel expenses increased from P15 million in 2016 to P120 million in 2017;3) PCOO’s involvement in the making of the video “Pepederalismo;” 4) policy with regard to social media posts handled by the agency.

Since the establishment of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), OFWs have been used as piggy bank for government officials who are appointed to head this office. Billions of Owwa funds have been misused, re-channeled, and unaudited up to the present.

Mocha Uson’s recycled appointment reeks of more evil Duterte government designs to control the OFWs’ funds and remittances, especially after Uson announced in her radio program that “she will now have more time to focus on the needs of OFWs, including the creation of a Department for OFWs.

We vow to stand vigilant; oppose and expose Duterte’s fake welfare policies under the guise of Mocha Uson. Most importantly, we shall carry on the true mandate to serve our fellow migrants regardless of the smear campaign and attacks of this government.