Cagayan de Oro writers’ group removes writer with false credentials

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines– The Nagkahiusang Magsusulat sa Cagayan de Oro (NAGMAC), a writers’ collective in Northern Mindanao, has stripped the board membership of one writer who claimed false literary credentials in a press release published by a local newspaper here on February 9.

The press release said that Kagay-anon writer Alton Melvar Dapanas, NAGMAC’s senior fellow for poetry and creative nonfiction and board member, was longlisted at the 2019 Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction (CNF) prize.

Three other claims were mentioned as part of his achievements. Dapanas claimed in the press release that his book The Cartographies of Our Skin: Lyric Essays was published by Tupelo Press and was shortlisted for the 2017 Anne Carson Prize for Nonfiction.

Dapanas also said he was a nominee of the Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize, and a fellow to the Iyas National Writers’ Workshop.

These claims were later debunked as false.

Mindanao Gold Star Daily (GSD) special correspondent Lina Sagaral Reyes, who was given a copy of the press release last month by Dapanas himself, informed NAGMAC of the false claims after verifying information with local writers through Facebook and online sources.

Dapanas himself owned up to the false claims in a statement posted in his Facebook account.

“I own up to these mistakes and am willing to take responsibility in my actions,” he said. “The integrity of the people who currently run the collective should be out of the issue.”

“I will be out of the literary scene for God knows how long,” Dapanas added. “I take this indefinite hiatus as an opportunity for learning and growth to reflect and review my future direction.”

False claims

Upon inquiry by the author of this article, The Malahat Review said that Dapanas was not included in the longlist of the 2019 Constance Rooke CNF Prize since it was not even accepting entries.

“We haven’t held the 2019 Constance Rooke CNF Prize– in fact, the contest isn’t even accepting entries right now,” The Malahat Review said in a direct message via its Facebook page

“We don’t usually release a long-list, only a shortlist and the winner [is] announced,” they added.

In the same way, Tupelo Press Publisher and Artistic Director Jeffrey Levine sent a letter addressed to NAGMAC regarding the book that Dapanas supposedly authored after seeing the press release published by Mindanao Gold Star Daily.

“We have no knowledge of this book, nor of this writer. We urge strongly that the record be corrected,” the letter said.

The Anne Carson 2017 Prize for Creative Nonfiction also does not exist.

Furthermore, the published lists of Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize did not mention Dapanas’ name or any of his books.

On his claimed fellowship at the Iyas National Writers’ Workshop, project coordinator and University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City’s former dean of law Raymundo “RayBoy” T. Pandan Jr said that Dapanas has never been a fellow to the Iyas National Writers’ Workshop.

Response and responsibility

Regarding these false claims, NAGMAC issued an official statement through board member Adeva Esparrago’s Facebook profile and to Rappler on Friday, March 8.

They released it after an article written by Reyes detailing her personal account about unraveling Dapanas’ claims was published by Mindanao Gold Star Daily, the same newspaper that published the press release last month.

Upon review, Mindanao Gold Star Daily said that the press release, while taglined NAGMAC, was sent to their office through Dapanas’ personal email address on February 8.

NAGMAC, however, clarified in its March 8 statement that they had nothing to do with the press release.

“This article was written without consultation with our Board of Directors and has been proven to have misleading and/or false information,” NAGMAC stated.

The group said that after discovering that Dapanas misrepresented NAGMAC, it emailed the newspapaer a statement of retraction “in order to preserve integrity of both our organizations, and to make public that we are correcting this matter.”

“As of this time, NAGMAC has finished its investigation and has made its decision on the appropriate sanctions,” they added.

NAGMAC clarified to Rappler that Dapanas is no longer listed as their board member.

“Alton was removed from the board and we have barred him from attending any NAGMAC events internal or external. He has had no access to any funds received by any public or private source and all our accounts are in order,” they said in a statement to Rappler.

They also advised people to refer to his public apology for an explanation. As of this writing, Dapanas’ Facebook account and post containing the apology are inacessible.

“The group would like to distance itself from other complaints made against the person in question. They are his personal issues that the group makes no effort to cover up or protect,” NAGMAC added.

As a writers’ collective, NAGMAC conducts poetry readings and spoken word performances at malls and other public venues. They also publish independent “chapbooks” authored by their members. – Rappler.com

Angelo Lorenzo was a member of NAGMAC in February this year. But after he conducted investigation along with local writers, he has resigned from the literary organization.