2009 controversy should not hinder this year's National Artist search — NCCA head

It has been three years since the National Artist controversy in 2009, but the issue remains unresolved as the case is still pending before the Supreme Court.     However, this should not be an obstacle in this year's search for National Artists, said Felipe de Leon Jr., chair of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the body that screens nominees for the award.   “Hindi dapat makaapekto iyong issues ng 2009 sa proseso ng paghanap ng bagong nominees para sa National Artist award,” he said Friday at a press conference at the NCCA office in Intramuros, Manila. “Walang kinalaman ang 2012 sa problema ng 2009.”   The 2009 controversy started when several National Artists protested the inclusion of Cecilla Guidote-Alvarez, Carlo J. Caparas, Francisco Mañosa and Pitoy Moreno on the list, which was announced by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The four were on the list for conferment as National Artists for Theatre, Visual Arts, Architecture, and Fashion Design, respectively.    The others were Manuel Conde for Cinema, Lazaro Francisco for Literature, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz for Visual Arts.    At Friday’s press conference, National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario said Conde, Alcuaz, and Francisco should be properly addressed as National Artists because their eligibilities were not questioned by the petition in the Supreme Court.    De Leon agreed, adding that even though the three have not been conferred with the honor yet by Malacañang, they are already considered as National Artists and should be properly addressed as such.    He also hoped for a resolution of the case against the four others.   “Ma-resolve lang na ma-invalidate, kasi hindi talaga karapat-dapat ang apat na ‘yan,” De Leon said, placing more emphasis on the questionable appointment of Caparas and Guidote-Alvarez.   On Moreno and Mañosa, he said: “Magaling sila pero ‘di kumbinsido ang maraming tao na ganoon sila kagaling.”   Call for new nominations   The selection and conferment for the National Artist award, the most prestigious honor given to artists in the country, take place every three years. Government and non-government cultural organizations may nominate an artist under the categories of dance, music, theater, visual arts, literature, film and broadcast arts, and architecture, design, and allied arts.   The nominations for the 2012 National Artists were opened last August 28, but De Leon said there is a dearth in the number of nominations submitted so far. The call for nominees ends on November 30.   However, he noted that it is typical Filipino nature to file at the last-minute. He said he only wishes for the nominations to be submitted faster because of the length of time needed to evaluate them.   “Kaya ang gusto namin mapabilis, ayaw namin tumanggap ng nominations nang Nobyembre pa, matatagalan tayo,” he said.   Frances Alincastre of the NCCA National Artist Award Secretariat said the nomination of the late “Comedy King” Dolphy (Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr. in real life) was already received by the agency, but his nomination records are still being updated.   Dolphy was nominated in 2009 but did not pass the second screening of the three-part process. He died last July.   President Benigno Aquino III agreed that Dolphy deserved the award, but said he would not interfere with the selection process. — AE/KBK, GMA News