The Philippine Online Chronicles

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Politicians, celebrities and artists came together at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Manila to mourn the "death" of the National Artist Award. A vehicle carrying the seal for the "Pambansang Gawad ng Sining" surrounded by wreaths pulled up the entrance of the building where the "necrological service" was held.

Artists such as Jim Paredes and Danny Javier of APO Hiking Society, Celeste Legaspi, and Armida Siguion Reyna were present. Akbayan Liza Hontiveros-Barraquiel spoke in front of the crowd while Ilocos representative Imee Marcos also attended.

Previous national artists Ben Cabral, F. Sionil Jose, Virgilio Almario, Salvador Bernal, Bienvinido Lumbera, Eddie Romero, Napoleon Abueva, and Arturo Luz buried their own medals in a box as a final show of protest.

The protest came after Malacanang announced the list of the 2009 National Artist which included PETA-founder and NCCA Executive Director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez and director Carlo J. Caparas.

Director Carlo J. Caparas sat down last night with writer Jose Dalisay and film critic Alexis Tioseco on ANC's Media on Focus. Host Che Che Lazaro discussed the alleged anomaly with allowing the president to have the "prerogative" of inserting or subtracting names from the National Artist list presented jointly by the CCP and NCCA.