MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, October 2, wished resigned Communications Assistant Secretary Esther Margaux “Mocha” Uson all the best as she bade farewell to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and expressed intent to run in the 2019 midterm elections.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said Uson is qualified to seek a seat in Congress, considering the qualifications provided by the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
“I wish her the best. I will miss her. But she did make it clear na ipagpapatuloy po niya ang advocacy (that she will continue her advocacy). Lagot po silang lahat kay Mocha Uson (They will see a fiercer Mocha Uson),” he told Palace reporters in a chance interview.
“The only qualification is you must be a Filipino and the age qualification. So she is qualified,” Roque, aware of the possibility of Uson running for a national post, added.
During the Senate deliberations on the proposed 2019 budget of the PCOO held earlier Wednesday, Uson announced her resignation, as well as her plan to seek a seat at the Senate or the House of Representatives.
Section 3, Article 6 of the Constitution provides that an individual can be a senator as long as he is a natural-born Filipino citizen; 35 years old; able to read and write; a registered voter; and a Philippine resident for not less than two years immediately preceding the day of the election.
To be a member of the House of Representatives, a person must be a natural-born Filipino citizen; 25 years old; able to read and write; a registered voter in the district where he will be elected, except the party-list representatives; and a Philippine resident for not less than a year immediately preceding the day of the election, Section 6 of the same article states.
Uson first rose to fame as the leader of the all-female singing and dancing group Mocha Girls.
Later on, she became a social media influencer who supported President Rodrigo Duterte during the 2016 presidential elections.
Uson, 36, earned a degree in medical technology from the University of Santo Tomas.
The former sexy star turned politician served as board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board and PCOO Assistant Secretary for Social Media under Duterte's watch.
In a September 28 letter addressed to Duterte, Uson informed the President of her plan to step down from office, effective October 1.
She said she was grateful to Duterte for giving her the opportunity to serve as a public official for more than a year.
“It has been my honor to be of service to you as Assistant Secretary for Social Media at the Presidential Communications Operations Office. In the past one year and four months, I believe I have remained true to my commitment in delivering the message of the Duterte administration to Filipinos across the globe via social media,” she said.
“Thank you very much for the Filipino (for) the once in a lifetime opportunity you have given me to serve the Filipino people under your administration. I will be forever grateful. Rest assured that my loyalty to your administration has not wavered,” Uson added. (SunStar Philippines)