Margaux “Mocha” Uson, the lead performer of girl group Mocha Girls, has not been appointed social media consultant of the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) after all.
On August 4, ABS-CBN News quoted Faeldon as saying that Uson has been tapped as the agency’s social media consultant without pay.
But in a later tweet, BOC said “Comm. Nicanor Faeldon will not appoint Mocha Uson as BOC Social Media Consultant but she can write articles about BOC on her blog.”
A staunch supporter of Duterte, Uson is a member of the Duterte Die-hard Supporters. In her Facebook blog, which has over three million followers, Uson on August 3 posted an exclusive interview with Faeldon. Uson said the interview was to clarify reports that not much has been done at the customs agency for the one month that Faeldon has assumed office as commissioner. She added she has been receiving many messages from overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) about their problems sending balikbayan boxes.
According to Uson, Faeldon explained that change in BOC is slow because “almost all” divisions of the agency are corrupt or employees do not report irregularities.
No deputy commissioners yet
The story on Uson’s supposed appointment, and later non-appointment, comes at a time when there are still no new BOC deputy commissioners. The term of office of the four deputy commissioners appointed by the former President Benigno Aquino III expired on July 31. Their stay was in fact already extended by another month via a memorandum circular issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea. The circular extended to July 31 the appointment of all presidential appointees that have no replacements yet. All presidential appointees should have stepped down from office on June 31, along with Aquino.
Of the five BOC deputy commissioners, only the position of deputy commissioner for Management Information System and Technology Group is currently occupied. The official holding that post (Vladimir Dennis Reyes) is not a presidential appointee and is only on acting capacity.
Duterte had earlier appointed some of his celebrity supporters to government, among them, singer Jimmy Bondoc and comedian Arnell Ignacio as assistant vice presidents at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation; and musician and businessman Ramon “RJ” Jacinto as Presidential Adviser on Economic Affairs and Information Technology Communications.
Singer Freddie Aguilar was earlier eyed as chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) but his appointment seems uncertain because the law that created NCCA does not allow the agency’s chairman to be appointed by the President.
