THE House of Representatives deferred anew the plenary deliberation into the 2019 budget of the Presidential Communications Office (PCOO) because of the absence of Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson.

The proposed budget for the attached agencies under PCOO, however, was approved by the plenary during Tuesday’s session, October 2.

The Philippines News Agency, Philippine Information Agency, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, People's Television Network, and Philippine Broadcasting Service are among the agencies under the PCOO.

Paranaque Representative Eric Olivares, sponsor of the PCOO budget, said Uson has failed to reply to the letters sent by Communications Secretary Martin Andanar as regards to her attendance to the plenary deliberation.

“Three times that the Secretary Andanar wrote a letter to Assistant Secretary Mocha with regard to her presence here today and there was no response coming from her at present,” Olivares said.

Olivares said Uson, who is now in the United States, will arrive in the Philippines on Wednesday, October 3.

The PCOO’s proposed budget for 2019 is P1.474 billion.

The plenary deliberation was originally scheduled on September 24. It was suspended then also due to the absence of Uson.

Uson has failed to attend not just the plenary deliberations into the PCOO’s budget but also the previous hearings conducted by the House appropriations panel into the proposed budget of the office.

Opposition lawmakers previously manifested their desire to interpellate Uson regarding several complaints against her.

Uson has repeatedly faced resignation calls. Just recently, she was criticized for supposedly mocking the sign language and for the viral “pepederaismo” video. (SunStar Philippines)