Dolphy Quizon’s nomination for the national artist award is already being processed, a legal counsel of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) said.
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In a statement posted on her Facebok page, lawyer Trixie Angeles revealed that the King of Comedy “has been nominated and is now undergoing the process of evaluation–along with other noteworthy artists.”
According to Inquirer.net, Angeles had said that “the selection of National Artists is a long process, sometimes taking up to two years.”
She reportedly said President Benigno Aquino III should not be blamed for not declaring the veteran actor-comedian a National Artist despite a strong public clamor.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told the media earlier that President Aquino could not name Dolphy as national artist due to an existing Temporary Restraining Order preventing Malacañang from conferring the Order of National Artists award, an article on Yahoo! News said.
In 2009, the Supreme Court issued the TRO after a group of national artists led by Bienvenido Lumbera accused former president Gloria Arroyo of committing “grave abuse of discretion” for allegedly adding director Carlo J. Caparas, Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, Francisco Mañosa, and Pitoy Moreno to the list.
Angeles explained that the NCCA Board members’ “misappreciation” of the effect of the TRO led to the suspension of the selection process.
However, the search process “has again been put back on track” after new members sat in the NCCA board the following year, Angeles added.
