NCCA may resubmit Nora Aunor’s name for National Artist award

(Updated 4:28 p.m.) The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is considering resubmitting actress Nora Aunor's name for the National Artist award, the commission's legal consultant said Monday.

 

In a phone interview, NCCA lawyer Trixie Angeles said representatives of the commission and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) will meet this week to tackle Aunor's exclusion from this year's National Artist awardees.

 

The NCCA and the CCP act as the Order of the National Artists Award Secretariat, which plans, organizes and implements the National Artist awards.

 

"They have two options: resubmit the name immediately or to wait until the next selection cycle," Angeles said in a phone interview on Monday.

 

Last week, President Benigno Aquino III named six new National Artists: Alice Reyes (for Dance), Francisco Coching (for Visual Arts), Cirilo Bautista (for Literature), Francisco Feliciano (for Music), Ramon Santos (for Music) and Jose Maria Zaragoza (for Architecture, Design and Allied Arts).

 

Aunor's name was the only one excluded by the President from the list submitted by the NCCA and the CCP, Angeles said.

 

Aunor, known to Filipinos as the "Superstar," is a multi-awarded actress who starred in critically acclaimed films such as "Himala" and "Thy Womb."

 

Over the weekend, the Manila Bulletin reported that Aquino was hesitant to confer the National Artist award on Aunor because the actress was involved in drug possession issues a few years ago.

Not issues vs. Aunor

Angeles said Aunor's past drug issues, as well as her reported tax evasion case in the United States, should not have been held against the actress in her bid for the National Artist award.

In March 2006, Aunor was reported to have pleaded guilty to drug possession charges before the a court in Los Angeles City in California.

"Miss Aunor's drug case has already been expunged from the records. There are no records that she has a tax evasion case. These should not have been issues against Miss Aunor," the NCCA lawyer said.

She added that as far as the NCCA is concerned, Aunor "complied with the process and has a good standing."

Angeles admitted, however, that the President's move to drop Aunor's name from the list of National Artist awardees did not violate any law.

A Supreme court ruling last year stated that the President has "the authority to alter or modify or nullify or set aside" the NCCA and the CCP's recommendation for National Artist awardees.

The same high court decision, which invalidated the conferment of National Artist awards to four personalities including  film director Carlo J. Caparas, states that the President cannot add any names to the list submitted by the NCCA and the CCP.

Policy changes

Angeles further said that the NCCA may propose policy changes to depoliticize the selection of National Artist awardees.

These policy recommendations may include amending existing executive orders or laws to draw clear parameters for the President in choosing National Artist awardees.

"The President is a political animal. His or her considerations in choosing National Artists may include factors other than artistry," Angeles said.

The NCCA may also propose the formation of an independent body to ultimately screen National Artist nominees, she added. —KG/BM, GMA News