Palace on new list of National Artists: It's PNoy's call

Malacañang stressed on Sunday that approving or rejecting nominees for the prestigious title of National Artist is President Benigno Aquino III’s call.

“It is the duty of the President to decide on who among the shortlisted nominees deserve to be conferred the Order of the National Artist. In making the decision, the President considered how each of the nominees measured up to the criteria for choice,” Communications Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said in an interview over government-run dzRB.

“Ang pinal na pagpapasya po ay ibinigay sa Pangulo ng Pilipinas dahil nga pinakamataas itong uri ng pagkilala sa mga outstanding Filipinos in the fields of arts and letters,” Coloma said.

Coloma made the statement following criticism over how actress Nora Aunor, who appeared in the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) list of nominees, was conspicuously absent from the list of new National Artists.

Some of Aunor’s supporters were dismay that the actress was not included in the list.

“So completely disappointed by the news that got to me that Nora Aunor has been dropped from the list of the Order of National Artists,” Director Jose Javier Reyes said in an earlier report.

Despite the snub, Coloma assured the public that Aquino’s choice “serves the national interest.”

“We are certain that his decision was based on what will best serve the national interest because the Order of the National Artist gives recognition to those who excelled in the arts and letters and embodied the goodness and nobility of the Filipino people,” Coloma said. — Patricia Denise Chiu/JDS, GMA News