Prerogative Right Should Be Used With Justice And Fairness

Sept. 19,2009 Prerogative Right Should Be Use With Justice And Fairness By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr. Maasin City, Southern Leyte-I have read an article in PDI’s Lifestyle section on its Aug.17, 2009 issue, “Who Is National Artist-Elect Ramon Santos” by Pablo Tariman.The author according to the footnote in his article, was a recipient of the Outstanding Pasigueño Award in Music along with composer Ramon Santos and the late Carmencita Lozada.Hence, we can say that he’s one of the persons in the world of art and culture who know what and where he speaks. The article dealt with the recent event of alleged improper choosing of National Artist on various categories like music, theater and acting. It seems to focus only on the selection of the National Artist for Music, Theater and Film. This time the incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was given the prerogative right to choose who among the candidates would be fortunate to be chosen as a National Artist in their respective fields of endeavor. There were already on the list of nominees who underwent rigorous deliberations by the National Commission For Culture and the Arts (NCAA)’s honor committee officials.Obviously, the list has served as the rightful candidates to choose from. Yet one could be considered as an intentional twist of fate, the name of one of the nominees, Ramon Santos was allegedly removed from the list as the new National Artist. Instead the author disclosed Arroyo named her adviser for culture and the arts, Cecile Alvarez-Guidote,as National Artist for theater. According to the report Alvarez herself remains an NCCA official (despite having reached retirement last year) and is disqualified from the award. The information provided by Tariman on Santos is that he had been elected by the joint board of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts after rigorous selection process to be named the National Artist for Music. Santos earned his doctorate degree from Indiana University and State University of New York. But he didn’t specialize on the likes of Samuel Barbers and George Gushwin… “While respected the country’s Western musical heritage, he spent a lifetime in the field studies of Philippine traditional music such as the musical repertoires of Ibaloi, the Mansaka, Bontoc, Yakan and Boholano. “His areas of relentless concern, aside from the above cultural communities also include Philippine art and music, Philippine contemporary music and related music from Southeast Asia and the cultural communities of South China.”. Pablo Tariman disclosed that Ramon Santos wore many hats-as music writer, composer, lecturer, and promoter of Asian music-in such traditionally Westernoriented music competition as the National Music Competition for Young Artists. The author revealed that “in the deliberation for the National Artist Awards this year 2009, Santos got the highest rating votes in the music category. Earlier, I have read an article impliedly related to the above complaint by Nestor Torre.His concern in his article was that in the selection of the National Artist Awards politics has intervened. He feared that the entry of politics would only jeopardize in the proper and rightful selection of who should be the deserving National Artist of so and so. In that article he suggested and strongly recommended to the officials concern to nip this unnecessary intervention in the bud before it would be allowed to bloom. In less than three weeks later, I’ve read another article, a PDI news story containing the negative reactions of some nominees who were in the list speaking up their minds on the unfair selection of the awards. If an incumbent President who has given the prerogative right to choose for an annual selection of National Artists would not respect the rules or regulations on what should be the right thing to do, then why allow her/him to participate in the

final selection? Granting or giving the prerogative right would not really mean one is free to take out a deliberated nominee or nominees on the list imprimatur by the NCCA and CCP officials or other agency in-charged in the monitoring, selecting and deliberating of deserving nominees for the awards. Did the past Presidents who might have enjoyed the kind of prerogative right Arroyo has, committed the same abuse of power by going outside the realm of rules and regulations in their selection of the National Artist Awards? How did she feel now with her awards? Is she happy or sadden? Just asking. She knows her position and she knows also who deserves the awards, we are sure for that. And she knows also she is disqualified to join as NCAA official. And yet she was chosen. She might have the guts to negatively react of the award. But she chooses to remain numb in order not to shame or insult the President. Neverthleless, any President of the Republic who enjoys such a prerogative right in any kind of selection of awards must have the modesty to use her/his right properly in fairness to the honors committee and the enlisted nominees. She/ he must understand that the officials involved in the process of selection and extensive deliberations on the candidates for the awards spent long hours and days to achieve what ought to be achieved to make fair and impartial judgments for the deserving candidates. Regardless of one’s position in the government or private agency, high and low, respect to follow rules and regulations and order in any kind of undertaking should be given the foremost consideration. Any highest official of the land should avoid imposing his/her preference if it breaks some ethics where proper judgment is being sacrificed. Really, being respectful to the rights of others and to the implementing rules and regulations in any offices is a mark of a bonafide educated person. As the hundreds of angry artists in Metro Manila have vehemently shouted in protest: “let politics be out of the National Artist Awards!”(Copyright 2009 by Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)