Kris Aquino hints at running for Senate in 2019 polls

MANILA, Philippines — Following her feud with Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson, media personality Kris Aquino has hinted at the possibility of running for senator next year.

In a live video on Wednesday night, Aquino responded to Uson’s refusal to apologize for dragging her father, the late former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. into the controversy involving the kiss of President Duterte with a married woman in South Korea. 

“I have a voice, that’s true. Now, this is sincere, I am thinking how I can use that voice because you listen to me... I have contracts that prevent me from running, contracts that I just signed. But maybe you need a voice. I will pray. I will pray about what is best for me to do,” she told her viewers in Filipino.

“Maybe it is better that I did not ask for a position, for me not to be an elected official. Maybe if I become part of the Senate, you will say that I have become like them. Right now, we are equals,” she added.

On Tuesday, Aquino lashed out at Uson for using a video showing a supporter kissing the late senator to compare it with Duterte kissing the woman in Seoul.

In her message to Aquino, Uson was non-apologetic. She said the issue is not about the former presidential daughter and sister but on how malice was given to the kiss of Duterte.

Responding to this, Aquino said simply: “Who kissed?”

In her video, she called on Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go to consider what she asked from him.

It was unclear if the request was an apology from Uson, which Go initially told the media would happen.

“It was clear, there was no sorry at all,” said Aquino, responding to Uson’s statement.

“The person closest to the President was able to say sorry. But Ms. Uson was even angry about it.” 

Addressing Uson, Aquino said the Palace official already won because she was able to hurt her by attacking her parents.

“It is tiring that every time, I have to deal with disrespect from followers. Did I steal from you? Did I do anything wrong to you? Did Ninoy and Cory Aquino do anything wrong with President Duterte?” she said.

Duterte still trusts Uson despite her tiff with Aquino.

Duterte, through his longtime aide Bong Go, has apologized to Kris over the incident.

Uson, however, stood by her online post, saying she would not apologize “for the truth.” 

Asked in a press briefing yesterday if Duterte still trusts Uson, presidential spokesman Harry Roque replied: “She hasn’t been fired. For as long as she hasn’t been fired, she enjoys the trust and confidence.” 

“All presidential appointees serve at the pleasure of the President,” he added.

Roque, however, declined to answer other questions about the issue, saying he would just let go talk about the matter. 

Duterte has said that critics who were making an issue out of the kissing episode were just envious and maintained that there was no malice in his act. 

He also claimed that kissing women has been his style since he was mayor of Davao City. 

Kris, for her part, also distanced herself from her brother, former president Benigno Aquino III, and the Liberal Party, saying she and her parents are not the so-called “yellowtards” that Duterte supporters like to criticize.

“When it is about my mother and when it is about my father, it will always be about me… Whatever our colors are, we love our parents,” she said. – With Alexis Romero