An unexpected award feting one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s fiercest apologists as an outstanding alumna of the University of Santo Tomas was roundly condemned Sunday.
Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson “does not, in any way, embody the ideals of a real Thomasian,” UST’s Central Student Council said in a strongly worded statement posted on Facebook.
UST-CSC's Official Statement on UST-AAI's decision to honor Mocha Uson with the Thomasian Award on Government Service
Take a stand, Thomasians! Let us hear your thoughts through https://t.co/KvQ511aMPK#PulsoNgTomasino#OneCSC pic.twitter.com/kPczNF3lWR
— UST CSC (@UST_CSC) January 21, 2018
It described Uson as the “main purveyor of politically motivated propaganda” against administration critics.
Uson “does not deserve an award that was supposed to be meant solely for outstanding Thomasian alumni,” said the student council statement, which also condemned her for spreading fake news.
Uson, a medical technology graduate of UST, received the Thomasian Alumni for Government Service Award given by the UST Alumni Association.
Henry Tenedero, president of the alumni group, said the award did not follow any specific criteria.
Awardees were handpicked by presidents of alumni associations of the different colleges and faculties in UST, he said.
“We never thought of giving it to [Uson] dahil siya ay controversial or not. Ang amin lang is that you’re a Thomasian graduate,” he told the Varsitarian.
“[We are] hoping that this award will inspire you to live [the Thomasian core values] more in your public [service]. Whether you’re living it or not is not for us to say.”
Tenedero said the award was given by the UST alumni association as an “independent organization,” not by the school administration.
SHOCKED
On Facebook, award-winning writer Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, who heads the UST Creative Writing Center, said she would have been “shocked and ashamed” over Uson’s award had she attended the ceremonies.
Henry Barrameda, a former Varsitarian editor in chief, said the alumni association “must be in dire need of support from the government” to fete Uson.
In a Facebook post, Uson expressed her gratitude for the award.
“Maraming salamat po sa aking Alma Mater na UST sa pagbigay sa akin ng ‘Gawad Thomasian Alumni in Government Service’. Isa po itong karangalan. Inaalay ko po ang award na ito sa aking ina at sa ating mga ordinaryong Pilipino!” Uson said.
Sen. Joel Villanueva, Senate Secretary Lutgardo Barbo, and Rep. Lito Atienza, were also recipients of the award.
Uson earned a degree in medical technology in 1998 and entered the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in 1999.
