MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has approved and signed Proclamation 435 affirming a previous proclamation of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declaring the late movie icon Fernando Poe Jr. a National Artist, posthumously.
“It’s essentially confirming the previous proclamation that was issued. As we all know, for personal reasons or for reasons of their own, the family was not able to accept the award previously,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said yesterday.
Poe, Ronald Allan Poe in real life, was officially defeated by Arroyo in the May 2004 presidential elections. He died in December of the same year.
His family did not attend the formal conferment of the award in May 2006. His wife, veteran actress Susan Roces, accused Arroyo of rigging the votes in her favor.
When he assumed office in June 2010, Aquino appointed Poe’s daughter, Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, as head of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.
Binay, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the President for issuing a new proclamation declaring Poe a National Artist.
The National Artist award is the most fitting recognition of a man who embodied the hopes and aspirations of the masses, Binay said.