Presidential prerogative

It is good that an article entitled “CCP quells rumors on board appointments” was published in the Business World. It may not have tackled the issues directly but at least it has become public knowledge that it does have problems. These should not be swept under the carpet.

On my part, I was not aware of these problems and certainly did not know there was a dispute on the 88-hectare property of the center. (I did not even know that it had 88 hectares of prime land until now!)

I accepted the appointment as a trustee of the board because it was right that I do so coming as it does from the president who is after all, the appointing authority whether or not she consulted with anyone. That is a separate issue. But I would not be truthful if I did not say that to become a trustee of Imelda’s pet project has brought my life into full circle. It is, well, a kind of poetic justice, since I had not wished or wanted to become a trustee of the cultural center.

I have had no dealings with Cecile Alvarez on her cultural activities least of all the controversial national artist awards of 2009. She is a friend from martial law days when my family and I were exiled in London and she and her family were in New York. My late husband, Ambassador Alberto Pedrosa and I were directors for Europe of the Ninoy Aquino Movement International. I also did not know any of the other new appointees previously. I got to know them for the first time after my appointment.

Neither did I know that there were other candidates that should have been considered by the President in Emily Abrera’s opinion. It would have been better if Ms. Abrera had written the President directly and told her about her disappointment instead of writing it in an email to the Business World. Happily, she admitted. “It is Ms. Arroyo’s prerogative to name new board members and I respect that.” So why did the story not end there if she respected that? Why go on and on?

Journalists are well aware that there are many ways of letting the public know about contentious issues without making accusations. I believe that Ms. Abrera is very good at it.

So when it is said that “The board chair also brushed off rumors that the new appointees were the Palace’s way of getting back at the CCP for the National Artists Awards ‘dagdag-bawas’ fiasco of 2009,” you can be sure there is more to it than what is being said. Others, who are in the know have suggested that a seemingly harmless statement like that can also be interpreted as a way of letting the public know what she thought of the President’s new appointments. It has ceased to be a rumor with the categorical statements by the Chairman being so freely given. (By the way, to set the record straight, dagdag-bawas was introduced in national elections when the Comelec chair was Christian Monsod, a Cory appointee).

I will not touch on the controversy over the national artist awards because it is sub judice awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court.

The new board appointees should be pleased that the Chairman said in the email interview that she does not see any problem about working with them (us, including myself) despite her reservations about the appointments. It may not have been said but it does come out between the lines.

I have attended two meetings of the board, one for a briefing and the other for a formal board meeting. No one needs to tell me that the bone of contention in the board is about the multi-stage and multi-million rehabilitation and expansion of the 88-hectare complex, to be completed over a projected five years.

That was clear to me when in the two meetings I attended, the discussions were about the issue. Maybe it was because I was coming in from the cold but I had expected more discussions on direction as a policy making body, and less on who should take charge of the development of the land. As it was emphasized “the work has already been done by the old board.” The development of 88 hectares of prime land could be put in the hands of a legal committee that would work with oversight from any board, whether new or old. Being a journalist I was asked that the controversy should not be written about. So I was surprised to read the article in the Business World.

 If as Ms. Abrera says she wants positive cooperation from the board, she will have it but only under conditions of fair play. I would not have written about the controversy had it not been for the email interview that the chairman gave to Business World. That broke the sanction.

Mrs. Abrera goes on to say other things like what she considers the most important qualifications for appointment as trustee of the board — integrity, a love and understanding of our Filipino culture and the arts, networking capability to help with the fund-raising for various events and programs.

She adds that a board member can be removed for valid reasons, but, Ms. Abrera stressed, politics or political affiliation isn’t one of them. Whatever made her say that?

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The world-renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy and his two sons, clarinetist Dimitri and pianist Vovka, performed at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo last Thursday. It was well attended with the hall almost filled to capacity.

As one of Ashkenazy sons had said, it was unusual to have the combination of piano and clarinet. Since father and sons wanted to play together in the “Concert for a Culture of Peace” the pieces had to be especially composed.

In a brief, but substantial welcome remarks CCP President former Ambassador Isabel Caro Wilson opened the concert. Uwe Morawetz, the founding chairman spoke on behalf of the International Peace Foundation. The concert was part of the third ASEAN event series Bridges-Dialogues Towards a Culture for Peace.

In his remarks he said something that all of us, whether working in or out of the CCP, can learn from. “Peace is not something which can be left to the elite of a few, but which needs the participation of everyone. Only if many ways cross and people walking these ways meet can international understanding be achieved and problems commonly solved. That evening I think the varied audience were one in listening and admiring beautiful music from the Ashkenazys.