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Samira Gutoc defends interaction with Mocha Uson after bitter history

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Senate candidate Samira Gutoc and Mothers for Change (MOCHA) Party-list nominee Margaux “Mocha” Uson. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/tvpatrol/03/21/gutoc-uson.jpg"/><figcaption>Senate candidate Samira Gutoc and Mothers for Change (MOCHA) Party-list nominee Margaux “Mocha” Uson. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Senatorial aspirant Samira Gutoc on Monday defended her recent expression of gratitude for party-list nominee Mocha Uson despite their bitter history. Gutoc thanked Uson, a known supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, when she joined the Aksyon Demokratiko party&#x27;s campaign rally in Cavite on Friday and <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/18/22/mocha-uson-endorses-isko-for-president-in-halalan-2022">endorsed</a> its standard bearer Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso.Gutoc, who is part of Domagoso&#x27;s Senate slate, previously criticized Uson for alleged red-tagging and a <a href="https://twitter.com/GutocSamira/status/1256183656294408192?s=20&amp;t=xL2jMm150tFDazQCHi-qwg">mass gathering</a> during the COVID-19 pandemic. &quot;In that moment of Cavite rally, she just spoke. She said yung kanyang adbokasiya pointed to the women. I acknowledged that. In the middle po that... out of the spur of the moment, [I said], &#x27;Thank you Mocha sa pagsabi mo on women and children,&#x27;&#x27;&quot; Gutoc told ANC&#x27;s Headstart.(She declared that her advocacy pointed to the women. I acknowledged that. In the middle of... out of the spur of the moment, I said, &#x27;Thank you Mocha for speaking on behalf of women and children.)&quot;It’s not like an endorsement, not like, &#x27;Wow you’re my model.&#x27; Mutual is—yung she was also saying, &#x27;Samira ganyan ka pala (So this is who you are Samira).&#x27; We were on that stage smiling and it was blown out of proportion.&quot;Gutoc added that she was unaware of the organizers&#x27; decision to include Uson in the rally.&quot;When you are graced by a visitor, you also welcome with graceness. I could’ve left but we are in that moment and I respect this was the decision of the organizers, which I got to know later pa,&quot; she said.In 2019, Gutoc failed to secure a Senate seat under opposition slate &quot;Otso Diretso,&quot; which Uson had criticized several times on her Facebook page that boasted millions of followers.<div>STAND ON OTHER ISSUES</div>Gutoc during the ANC interview shared her stand on several issues. She said she believed abortion should not be made easily accessible and that she &quot;wont be promoting abortion even if I am a feminist.&quot;&quot;I know that teenage pregnancy is a reality of the day and many can’t take responsibility. Abortion shouldn’t be as freely offered as other countries. I would always echo the Civil Code. Our family is our institution, primacy of children, primacy of our life as human beings,&quot; she said.&quot;I know from my Muslim faith, if it&#x27;s the woman’s life’s at risk--and from my law readings--abortion can be justified.&quot;Gutoc added that she supported divorce.&quot;Respeto po sa ating Church but I saw in 2019 and as a woman organizer nahihirapan po sila sa present na annulment and legal procedures na napakabagal po,&quot; she said.(I respect the Catholic Church but I saw in 2019 and as a woman organizer that women find difficult the extremely slow annulment and legal procedures.)&quot;As solo parent &#x27;di nila makuha ang papel para sila ay maka-justify na DSWD beneficiary po sila. A divorce fast tracks that circumstance na inabandon na sila.&quot;(They cannot as a solo parent get documents to justify that they&#x27;re a DSWD beneficiary. A divorce fast tracks proving that circumstance, that they&#x27;ve been abandoned.)Gutoc, however, said she cannot support same-sex marriage.&quot;Transparent ako (I&#x27;m transparent) to the LGBT community, that is something that I cannot accept openly. I am for anti-discrimination, I push also for recognition of the civil code rights of every property of a couple of the same gender,&quot; she said.The Moro civic leader also clarified her earlier statement on Duterte&#x27;s drug war, saying that it was &quot;remarkable, remembrable,&quot; for which she was criticized.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/05/21/duterte-admins-drug-war-a-shortcut-process-gutoc">Bangsamoro, not drug war, is Duterte admin&#x27;s greatest achievement: Gutoc</a></li></ul>&quot;It should be a program, it’s a project we’re doing in the community. The implementation on having extrajudicial killings definitely warrant an investigation,&quot; she said.&quot;It&#x27;s still wanting of investigation for the victims. Drug addiction has to be addressed at the core and rehabilitation at the core of funding.&quot;

Senate bet Samira Gutoc defended her interaction with party-list nominee Mocha Uson, a known supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte.