Again, President Noynoy manifests his awesome power in disregard of the legitimate guidelines and processes involved in the selection of a National Artist. In a very arbitrary act that smacks of disdain and injustice he snubbed the proclamation of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA} and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) for Nora Aunor as National Artist for Movie.
And the community of artists all over the country expressed their disgust and anger over Malacanang’s action. Even national artist Bienvenido Lumbera has come to the fore to join all other artists and cultural activists and enthusiasts who have criticized and denounced the President’s unjust use of his executive prerogative.
It seems the basis for the President’s decision was Nora Aunor’s indictment for a “drug abuse” case in the United States which was already dismissed by the Los Angeles court way back in 2007. Also, President Noynoy seemed to be “wary of Nora Aunor’s morality”.
Movie Director Jose Javier Reyes most succinctly retorted , “I thought we were choosing a National Artist, not a saint”.
And Joel Lamangan averred, “Morality is not part of the criteria, it’s the body of works that matters. Not whom an artist sleeps with. Not what he smokes or drinks. What should be considered is the uniqueness and excellence of an artist’s works.”
Dwelling on his insensitive action that involves the ticklish question of “morality”, we can venture a hypothetical scenario, to wit: “Supposing—just supposing—it was his sister Kris Aquino who was nominated and proclaimed by the NCCA and the CCP as recipient of the National Artist Award, what would he, President Noynoy, have done? Knowing very well the moral idiosyncracy of Kris, would he have demonstrated a parallel sense or feeling of being “wary “ ?
One wonders with the turn of events under President Noynoy’s presidency if he is still in tune with his avowals of matuwid na daan and his self-proclaimed style of leadership that we the people are his boss. Whatever happened to his sensibilities as a popularly elected leader? Has the Presidential Office rendered him “power drunk” ? The making of a dictator Marcos, if we recall, started with power drunkenness that soon worsened to power corruptness, then finally to absolute power corruptness. The same historical tendency was observable with Gloria Arroyo!
This action on the issue of the National Artist awards is only one of the legally and morally questionable acts President Noynoy has done as Chief Executive, the most serious of which involves the sell-out of Philippine sovereignty over our military bases by his unconstitutional act of signing the EDCA. To be sure, other objectionable acts need to be accounted for, such as his granting of promotions to military men who have history og grave human rights accountability with the people.
OMG! The people should be wary of— nay, alarmed by— the recent actuations of President Noynoy! We are subjected to a series of blow-by-blow acts and moves that lead to something akin to tyranny!
