Mocha Uson, Drew Olivar criticized for sign-language video

Presidential Communications Group  Assistant Secretary Margaux "Mocha" Uson and blogger Andrew "Drew" Olivar have once again drawn criticism for a video they posted online, this latest one featuring Olivar pretending to be a hearing-speech impaired person.

In the September 14 video-post on the "Mocha Uson Blog" Facebook account, Olivar could be seen flailing his arms around in pretend sign language. He could also be heard making squeaking sounds, all to the merriment of someone off-camera.

Netizens, as well as non-governmental organization PWD Philippines, found Olivar's miming of an impaired person to be insulting and offensive.

PWD Philippines, in a post on its Facebook account, pointed out that mocking people with disabilities was against the law - Section 39 of RA 9442, specifically.

"Kami sa PWDPhil ay nagpapahayag ng pagkasuklam sa ginawa nilang ito, lalo na kay Olivar," read the post. "Maaring humingi sya ng tawad ngunit hindi nangangahulugang nabura na sa aming damdamin at sa damdamin ng mga PWD ang kanilang ginawa."

"Ang mga may kapansanan ay HINDI DAPAT PINAGTATAWANAN," the NGO emphasized.

Malacañang, meanwhile, declined to comment.

"I will leave that to PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a news conference on Monday.

Andanar has yet to comment on the video.

Uson and Olivar had earlier been pilloried for their "ipederalismo" video, in which Olivar danced while gesturing to his crotch and his chest and chanting "I-pepe, i-pepe, i-dede, i-dede... ipederalismo!" — with Virgil Lopez/DVM/RSJ, GMA News