Nora, Vilma & Dolphy as National Artists, not Carlo Caparas!

Manila, Philippines - In politics, an absurdity is not a handicap. — Napoleon Bonaparte

My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference.  — US President Harry Truman

One of the horrors I read in the July 30 front-page of The Philippine STAR was that of ever-controversial President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo allegedly meddling in the National Artists selection process with four of her own personal choices. In the past, a president could insert only one personal choice.

National Artist for Literature, Unyon ng mga Manunulat ng Pilipinas (UMPIL) leader Virgilio Almario said: “Nabababoy yung sistema. Pati ako, bumaba yung tingin ko sa sarili ko (The system is being bastardized, even I look down upon myself now).”

I believe this is a travesty worse than a president allegedly lying in her State of the Nation (SONA) address!

Why not mars ravelo or larry alcala?

I’m not privy to the selection process, but as an ardent movie fan, I’m aghast at the selection of Carlo Caparas as National Artist. Why not the great actress Superstar Nora Aunor, why not “King of Comedy” Dolphy, whom Senator Manny Villar told S magazine he’s rooting for to become a National Artist? Why not the multi-awarded “Star for all Seasons” Vilma Santos? Why not the talented and multi-awarded movie director Mike de Leon? Why not even the painter Malang?

If President GMA’s idea of art is comics — which I’m also a fan of — why not honor the late Mars Ravelo or the late inimitable Larry Alcala whose fascinating works I sorely miss in the pages of the STAR?

If there’s one logical incentive for me to heed the clamor of my six secretaries and my Labrador Retriever Duchess to run for president, it is so that I can nominate the magnificent and yet unequalled Nora Aunor as National Artist!

This is not a joke. Comedian Leo Martinez, who often parodies our shamelessly corrupt politicians on TV and film, said that when he first heard news of GMA’s choice of Carlo Caparas, he really thought it was a joke. Whew, it seems the joke is on us!

Before I forget, this writer salutes the artists and scholars for this year nominating as National Artist the late filmmaker Manuel Conde. I have not yet seen his movies, but I surely admire and hope that some groups would exhibit again such interesting films by him like the 1950 Genghis Khan and the 1959 comedy Juan Tamad Goes to Congress. If I may add, can somebody do a modern-day sequel entitled Juan Tamad Goes Around the World to parody our legislators who love to travel in useless and costly junkets purportedly “in aid of legislation”?

Like emperor caligula naming his horse as consul?

Sources told this writer that the respected musician Dr. Ramon Santos, head of the UP Center of Ethnomusicology, was removed as a nominee and that GMA allegedly substituted four of her own choosing instead of the usual one presidential choice. This is another case of dagdag-bawas, one bawas (minus) and too much dagdag (additions)!

Who was that controversial Roman leader —was it Emperor Caligula who once named his horse as a consul? By the way, I wish to clarify that I am not comparing anyone to a horse, neither am I saying that our President is like Caligula, what I’m just stressing here is the controversial and perhaps whimsical nature of presidential or imperial privilege if perceived to be utilized improperly or unwisely.

If Carlo Caparas as moviemaker can be a National Artist, I think Mother Lily Monteverde of Regal Films is more deserving with her over 200 films and not a few of which are classics like Sister Stella L, starring Vilma Santos, and Manila By Night directed by Ishmael Bernal. I have nothing personally against Caparas and don’t even know him, but I believe there are many other much more deserving artists.

Caparas’s last TV series on GMA 7, incongruously entitled Ang Babaeng Ihinugot sa Aking Tadyang and starring Marian Rivera, failed even in the TV ratings. His other works are comic book characters Bakekang, Totoy Bato, Tasya Fantasya and Gagambino. In fairness, I congratulate him, and like his Panday story, which was made into iconic films by the late National Artist for Film and “King of Philippine Movies” Fernando Poe, Jr.

Former UP Dean Prof. Virgilio Almario, who sat in the final selection committee and is therefore privy to the nominees that were originally submitted to the President, said, “Wilson, artists like you should publicly express disgust over this. I hate it when the President meddles with the system of selecting National Artists. While she has the power to intervene, the system of selection works and she does not have any reason to use her presidential privilege. I hate even more when people take advantage of this presidential privilege by submitting their names directly to the President.”

It is no secret that some of our politicians have misused power to appoint political appointees who are unqualified or undeserving for important government posts, directorships in government corporations or even to ambassadorships. Where is our sense of decency, fairness, good governance, and transparency? When will our society uphold the ideals of meritocracy and not kapal-muks and palakasan?

Last, but not the least, if Malacañang insists on foisting upon us Carlo Caparas as National Artist, why not Tito, Vic and Joey of the popular noontime TV show Eat Bulaga (they also have movies), or the late and even more popular Rene Requiestas who co-starred in such unforgettable Regal Films classics as the Pido Dida trilogy?

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