Past controversies hound National Artist Awards

The current controversy over the alleged snub of multi-awarded actress Nora Aunor for the coveted National Artist Award by President Aquino is nothing new in the history of the award itself. Newsbreak takes a quick look at past controversies that have hounded the National Artist Awards, which are meant to recognize exemplary artists for their contribution to Philippine culture and the arts. Among the many incidents in the past, former President Gloria Arroyo’s naming of filmmaker Carlo J. Caparas and theater stalwart Cecile Guidote-Alvarez stand out because their names were not part of the shortlist given by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to the former president. But, as Newsbreak discovers, the law is silent on the leeway the President has in adding or dropping names from the list.

Read the full story on Rappler.