“I AM SORRY” | Mocha Uson apologizes for posting ‘fake news’ but criminal case stays

May 18, 2020 , 01:43 PM

MAY 20, 2020 — A popular blogger supporting President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday apologized for posting false information on social media but law enforcement agents would still pursue a criminal complaint against her.

Mocha Uson, an entertainer who shot to fame for her rabid support to the popular leader, told the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) she made a terrible mistake in posting in social media about a private donation of personal protective equipment to public hospitals when she claimed it was acquired by the government.

“‘Yung impormasyon na gusto kong i-share sa publiko, may ginagawa ang gobyerno para pangalagaan ‘yung frontliners natin. Nagkamali lang. Honest mistake ‘yung sa photo,” said Uson.

Uson, who is also deputy administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), appeared before the NBI headquarters in Manila to explain her side after complaints were filed against her for spreading disinformation, a violation under the “Bayanihan to Heal as One” law passed in March.

Under section 6 of the Bayanihan Act, “those creating, perpetrating, or spreading false information regarding the COVID-19 crisis on social media and other platforms” are liable under the law.

Uson has constantly drew controversy since Duterte rose to power in 2016 for posing false information and propaganda as well as criticism of the president’s political enemies which are usually baseless.

In one of her past social media posts, she made a mistake of identifying the location of the country’s most active volcano, Mayon, to another province, a post that generated a lot of reactions.

The NBI said it will pursue a criminal case against her for spreading false information on Facebook, the most popular social media platform in the Philippines, at a time when the country faced a coronavirus pandemic.

“An apology will not extinguish ‘yung criminal liability mo. Mayroon siguro persuasive effect sa prosecutor,” said Vic Lorenzo, head of the bureau’s cybercrime division.

The NBI has launched a crackdown on threats and false information in social media, arresting two men who had offered bounty for the killing of the president while police questioned ordinary citizens for criticizing the government.

Human rights advocates condemned the crackdown, defending these social posts as part of freedom of expression and protected speech.

Uson brought to the NBI several photos about the controversial social media posts, which she claimed were taken from the country’s leading daily newspaper Philippine Star.

Uson said she immediately issued an erratum and replaced the photos in her Facebook post after realizing the mistake she had committed.

Uson faces a two-month prison term and a fine ranging from 10,000 to 1 million pesos if found guilty of the offense. (Nicole Dacanay / MM)

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