National artists unite vs selection irregularities

MANILA, Philippines - Seven National Artists, each wearing the medallion symbolizing their rank, led more than a thousand black-clad artists, cultural workers and art lovers in protesting Malacañang’s addition of four names to this year’s roster of National Artists.

Napoleon Abueva (visual arts), Arturo Luz (visual arts), Ben Cabrera (visual arts), F. Sionil Jose (literature), Bienvenido Lumbera (literature), Virgilio Almario (literature) and Salvador Bernal (theater design) offered black roses to symbolize the death of the National Artist Awards at a mock “necrological service” held at the front ramp of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) along Roxas Blvd. yesterday.

Singer Celeste Legaspi represented her late father Cesar Legaspi (visual arts), while Raul Locsin represented his late brother Leandro Locsin (architecture).

Lumbera read a statement on behalf of the National Artists lamenting the granting of the highest honor to persons who did not undergo or pass the stringent selection process mandated by law. Cabrera, known as Bencab, stressed the importance of “respecting the process” of selection, while Bernal mourned the death of the honor of being called a National Artist wit this latest move.

Installation artist JunYee, whose most recent work was the Holocaust memorial in Israel, led several other visual artists in setting up thousands of black ribbons on the front lawn of the CCP. A large funeral wreath at the necrological service was later brought in a motorcade to the office of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in Intramuros.   

Claiming that the process was not respected, the protesters called for a review of the law governing National Artist awards.

Questionable act

“That is a very questionable act by the President. I am very happy to see true artists gather in an event like this. We should be united in fighting for what we think is right and proper concerning the arts and culture. We should make our voices heard,” said singer-actress-film producer Armida Siguion Reyna.

Former lawmaker and theater actress now filmmaker Imee Marcos said she and her siblings Irene and Bong-Bong were saddened over Malacañang’s disrespect for the process to determine who should be declared National Artist.

“The recognition for artists establish by our mother was simply disregarded. I guess it’s not only at the Coemelec (Commission on Elections) where there is ‘dagdag-bawas’ (vote padding and shaving), even here it happens. This is the first time this has happened and it is obvious that this is political payback,” she said in Filipino.

Bibeth Orteza, Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change spokesperson, said Malacañang’s “honors committee” acted over and above the boards of the CCP and NCCA, the two bodies tasked with selecting National Artist awardees.

“To exclude an artist chosen by one’s own peers and include four others who were not is a brazen assault on the integrity of the selection process of National Artists,” she said.

Composer and ethnomusiclogist Ramon Santos was dropped from the list of awardees. Malacañang added Cecile Guidote Alvarez, Carlo Caparas, Jose “Pitoy” Moreno and Francisco Mañosa. 

“Malacañang shows no recognition and respect for the artists, cultural workers and art lovers, who went through the rigorous process of selecting the awardees.

 “The inclusion of Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, Mrs. Arroyo’s adviser and executive director of the NCCA, who in the first place is not eligible for the award, not only smacks of lack of delicadeza or a sense of propriety, but also taints the National Artist Awards with patronage politics.”

Orteza said the controversy hounding the selection of latest National Artists awardees merely broadened the anti-Arroyo movement.

“Today we are witness to how the corrupt practices of the Arroyo administration even encroach into the selection of National Artists. Instead of expanding Arroyo’s clout, she has created more enemies, this time in the artists’ community,” she said.

Movie director Joel Lamangan said Mrs. Arroyo has no respect for the process in choosing the National Artists.

“She should have respected the final list made by concerned officials,” he said.

“Because of what happened, the country’s artists are now mourning.”

Caparas accepts award

Amid the protest, Komiks King Carlo J. Caparas, has accepted the National Artist award.

“I never asked for this,” he said. “I worked hard for this. Night and day, I worked hard to do good in my work.”

He was able to entertain readers through his Komiks stories, his movies and teleserye, he added.

NCAA executive director Cecille Guidote-Alvarez, whose nomination has also been questioned, had earlier accepted the award.

Caparas also answered critics who had lambasted his “massacre” movies.

“The massacre happened during the commission of the crime,” he said.

“My movies helped the victims and their families seek justice they need. That’s why the PNP gave me an award for this.”

His movies have helped Filipinos unwind after a hard day’s work, Caparas said.

Palace appeals to critics

 Malacañang has appealed to critics of this year’s National Artists to respect the awardees for their contributions in their fields.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the dissenters must give some degree of fairness to the awardees.

“We respect the sentiments of these artists but in protesting they are also hurting the sentiments of other artists,” he said.

Remonde defended the choice of Caparas and Alvarez, who have been the primary target of criticism.

The nomination of Alvarez was questioned because critics believe her being NCCA executive director posed a conflict of interest in the selection process.

Remonde said the contributions of Caparas to Filipino pop culture cannot be denied, particularly in popularizing and elevating the komiks industry to a higher level.

“No one can say that any one of the awardees did not contribute to Philippine culture,” he said.

“I am not surprised. There will always be protests because you cannot please everyone. They each have their own choices. We should respect the sentiments of the artists but they should also respect the recipients of the award.”

On May 6, 2009, the CCP and NCCA boards submitted the final list of recommended awardees to Malacañang for confirmation, proclamation and conferral.

These were Ramon Santos for Music, Lazaro Francisco for Literature, Manuel Conde for Film and Federico Aguilar Alcuaz for Visual Arts.

However, on July 29, 2009, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced that President Arroyo had named seven new National Artists.

These are Caparas, Moreno, Alvarez, Mañosa, Lazaro Francisco, Manuel Conde and Federico Aguilar Alcuaz.

Of these seven, only Francisco, Conde and Alcuaz were the boards’ original choices. – WIth Maridol Ranoa-Bismark, Katherine Adraneda, Marvin Sy