By Neil Ramos
Christopher “Bong” Go, the Special Assistant to the President, has nipped in the bud the simmering row between celebrity Kris Aquino and Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson by apologizing over the video the latter posted showing the late Senator Benigno Aquino kissing two women.
Uson posted the video on Sunday in an attempt to challenge those critical of President Duterte kissing a Filipina during a recent visit to South Korea.
Go made the apology after Kris reached out to him.
The Chief Executive was told of the incident.
“Sabihin mo, ‘We are sorry for the incident,’” Go quoted Duterte as saying.
““Wala na pong dinagdag si Pangulo. Siguro naintindihan naman po niya ‘yung punto rin ni Kris,” he added.
Go defended Mocha’s action, saying, “Wala naman po sigurong intensyon si Asec Mocha na makasakit ng damdamin.”
He added, “May kanya-kanyang punto sila e. Si Asec Mocha, pinapakita lang niya itong leader na ito, hinalikan din ng isang babae. Ibig niyang sabihin doon, pareho silang well-loved, well-respected…”
“Dinidepensahan (lang din) ni Asec Uson ang ginawa ni Pangulong Duterte. Nagkataon lang po na may anak na nasaktan.
‘Yun po ang hinihingian namin ng sorry,” he went on.
Go said Mocha has agreed to put the issue to rest, adding she might issue a public apology.
But she didn’t, though.
Mocha posted on Wednesday a video in response to Kris’ tirades.
In it, she made clear, “I decline to apologize for the truth.”
She said the issue was not about Kris but rather “sa paglagay ng malisya sa isang halik.”
“Itinumbas lang sa gawain ng ibang lider tulad ng tatay niya.”
Then she repeated, “Ms. Aquino, this is not about you.”
Meanwhile, Kris thanked Duterte’s long-time aide for replying to her messages and “believing in the power of true and honest communication.”
“Thank you for taking my feelings as a daughter into consideration & showing me EMPATHY,” she posted on Instagram.
“I am most grateful for a man as powerful as you are now for texting & Vibering me the words ‘we are sorry for the incident,’” she said.
Kris ended her post by assuring Go of her “sincerest gratitude.”
On Tuesday, Kris attacked Mocha over the release of the video which she considers a complete disrespect to her parents.
She said: “Sobra ka na, e. Yung ginawa mo, ang mga sinaktan mo, mahal na mahal ko.
“Ganito na lang, ha? Diretsahan na, babae sa babae, gusto mo ng kaaway?
“I’m ready. Anytime, anywhere, harapan.”
The actress-TV host then challenged Mocha, urging her to pick between a debate or a re-enactment of a scene in the movie “Four Sisters And A Wedding,” where Mocha’s character was dragged to the streets by Angel
