EDITORIAL - Martin should apologize to the nation

Maybe it is too much to ask that Filipino singer Martin Nievera be imprisoned for his atrocious rendition of the national anthem during the opening ceremonies of the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas last May 2.

But at the very best he should be summoned and admonished and told in no uncertain terms, so that other singers will be forewarned, that artistic license does not extend to the national anthem, meaning no one but no one is allowed to take liberties with its singing.

Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines provides that “the rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe.”

But it it not just the law that is against the kind of singing that Martin Nievera did. There is also the matter of good taste and good sense. Anyone who heard Martin, and that means presumably the entire country, clearly did not like what they heard.

A national anthem symbolizes a country. That is precisely the reason why during very important international events such as the Pacquiao-Hatton fight, the national anthems of the home countries of the participants are always played.

Now what a sordid situation we would be putting ourselves in when the national anthem of the Philippines, the sacred hymn representing all 90 million of us Filipinos, is left to the whims and caprices of a single singer.

On whose authority did Martin Nievera decide to do what he did? Who gave him the permission to mangle one of the very first songs that all Filipino children are taught and told to memorize and learn by heart for the rest of their lives?

If Martin Nievera has little respect for his personal obligations, such as marriage, he should be told that respect for the national anthem carries with it a far more compelling and enduring obligation that does not get obliterated even in the changing moods of the times.

Or if Martin Nievera was trying to show the international audience the kind of artistic prowess he possesses, perhaps to lure them into watching his occasional shows in the US, let it not be at the expense of the national anthem.