MOCHA, YOU CROSSED A LINE, SAYS KRIS
When President Rodrigo Duterte kissed a married overseas Filipino worker on the lips, the argument became intense. On one side, Duterte supporters called the kiss chaste and not a big deal considering that the woman herself consented to it; the other side called it inappropriate and gross.
This argument spawned a battle between Kris Aquino and assistant secretary (Asec) of the Presidential Communications Operations Office Mocha Uson. The latter, in defending her “Tatay Digong,” shared a video of the late senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. getting kisses from two women just minutes before he was shot dead in 1983. One of the women dared to kiss Ninoy on the lips.
In Uson’s video, she noted how people have criticized Duterte’s kiss as salacious but never dared to call out Ninoy for the kisses he received before he was killed.
Kris said the former dancer had crossed the line. She shared a video of the multiple times she felt like her family had been disrespected by Uson, and shared a lengthy statement on Instagram, several tweets on Twitter and some choice words via Facebook live.
“Asec Mocha Uson, marami akong pinalagpas. Binalahura mo na ang buong pagkatao ng pamilya namin... Mapapansin mo si Noy (former president Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III), hindi parte ng video ko dahil BUHAY siya. Kaya niyang depensahan ang
sarili niya (I let go of a lot of issues. You’ve put down my family... If you notice, I left out Noy. He’s not part of the video because he is ALIVE. He can defend himself ),” Kris wrote on Instagram.
“But when I saw the video that you uploaded in defense of President Duterte (whom I’ve never maligned), do you know what you did? You’ve reopened a 12-year-old’s wound in the heart when her father was killed helplessly,” Kris continued in Tagalog. “I cried because I ENVY those two women who were able to kiss my dad before he was killed. It was a gift never afforded to my mother, whom you’ve continuously disrespected. I promised myself I will not stoop down to your level—but this time, you’ve crossed the line.”
“If you want a punching bag, please choose me. Because I’m alive and I can talk back. And I will not back down,” said Kris.
On Facebook, Kris challenged Uson: “I am giving you fair warning,
isa pa na bastusin o babuyin mo ang tatay o ang nanay ko, magtutuos tayo (if you vilify my father or mother one more time, we are going to face off ).”
“Kasi, what you are doing to my parents, they do not deserve. And people will tell me, ‘why are you stooping down to her level?’ I’m doing this because I love my mom, I love my dad, and if I don’t do this now, I’ll hate myself,” she also said.
As of yesterday afternoon, Uson was still silent on Kris’ challenge. But she has actively posted “good news” for the country in her popular Mocha Uson Blog Facebook page including a story on South Korea’s offer of US$ 1 billion to the Philippines. In her post, Uson said, “Puro
yung kissing issue ang balita, paki balita naman ito. Isang beses lang
ata binalita (The news is full of the kissing issue; please also put this in the news. It has only been reported once).”