By Ellson Quismorio

Imprudent and utterly lacking in delicadeza.

That’s how Gabriela Women’s Party described on Friday Malacañang’s decision to appoint controversial blogger Mocha Uson as deputy administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

READ MORE: Mocha Uson appointed OWWA deputy administrator

Gabriela, which is represented by nominee Arlene Brosas in the House of Representatives, expressed support Friday for calls to impose the one-year ban on losing election candidates from being appointed to a government office.

The group was clearly alluding to Uson, who during the midterm polls last May targeted a House seat under the AA KASOSYO Party-List. However, AA KASOSYO failed to get into the winners’ circle after receiving only 110,000 votes.

“Following the loss of AA KASOSYO Party-List and the consequent appointment of its first nominee Mocha Uson to the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, [Gabriela] Party-List air(s) concern over the obvious use of such executive powers to grant political favors to individuals obviously rejected by the electorate. This is obviously imprudent and utterly lacking in delicadeza,” Gabriela said.

It said that the year-long ban may be applied to the first, second, and third nominees of party-list groups.

“The party-list system has become so bastardized that it has become a very convenient shortcut not just for members of political dynasties but for favored individuals known to kowtow to every whim of the executive,” said Gabriela, which is part of the Makabayan Bloc in the House.

“This potentially destroys the system of checks and balances and puts into question the independence of the legislative department,” it added.

Uson, who was Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) assistant secretary, is known as a “diehard” supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Another Makabayan member in Bayan Muna Party-List Rep. Ferdinand Gaite earlier slammed Uson’s appointment, saying it was downright illegal.

He cited Section 6, Article IX of the 1987 Constitution, which states that “No candidate who has lost in any election, shall within one year after election, be appointed to any office in the government or any government-owned or controlled corporation or in any of its subsidiaries.”