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By Maila Ager, August 6 2018; Philippine Daily Inquirer

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1018084/senators-twit-mochas-federalism-jingle

Image Credit to Philippine Daily Inquirer

Even without Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson, the proposed federalism is already dead and awaiting cremation at the Senate, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Monday.

“With Mocha Uson, the ashes should be thrown far, far away from the Philippines’ 7,107 beautiful islands,” Lacson said on Twitter.

The senator’s remark stemmed from his earlier statement that the proposed Charter change “is just waiting to be cremated” in the Senate.

On Sunday, a video of Mocha with a certain Drew Olivar went viral as the latter was dancing and singing a jingle about federalism, which lyrics included: “I-pepe, i-pepe, i-dede, i-dede, i-pepe-pepe-pepederalismo!”

“She’s the perfect endorser for federalism,” Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said when sought for comment on the video.

“She symbolizes those in favor of federalism,” Recto added in a text message.

For Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, the federalism jingle was a “desperate attempt” to attract attention “by intentionally offending our sense of propriety.”

“It is downright vulgar and has no place in the public discourse on such an important issue as their supposed shift to federalism and Charter change,” Escudero said in another statement.  /kga