General Admission
PNoy owes Nora a mountain of apology?
By Al S. Mendoza
NORA Aunor is in the news again.
I am not surprised.
Superstars are always news magnets.
And whether bad or good publicity, it will still be publicity in the end in that it makes one all the more famous just the same.
But in the latest Aunor starrer, was Nora pictured in a bad light? Again?
In an oblique way, yes.
That’s because for having been denied the National Artist Award by President Aquino, Nora’s dark, drug-laden past had been unearthed again.
President Aquino has said Nora had been convicted of drug possession and making her a National Artist would taint the award.
He said: “In my view, the honor and praise of a National Artist Award is given to people who contributed a lot to the Filipino race and someone who should be emulated. The problem is…she was convicted for illegal drugs, convicted and punished.”
But Nora’s lawyer based in the US belied the President’s claim.
“That is incorrect,” said Claire Navarro Espina, Nora’s lawyer speaking from America. “She was not punished nor did she spend any time in jail
A brief flashback.
On March 30, 2005, Nora was caught carrying illegal drugs in a U.S. airport consisting of eight grams of methamphetamine (shabu) concealed in a film container in her hand-carried bag.
She spent one night in jail and was released the following morning after paying $1,000, which was 10 percent of $10,000 set for bail.
On April 21, 2005, Nora pleaded not guilty but in March 2006, she pleaded guilty of drug possession.
On Oct. 1, 2007, the criminal case against Nora was dismissed after she complied with court requirements consisting mainly of drug-abuse treatment.
If there really was no conviction as claimed by Nora’s lawyer, then PNoy owes Nora a mountain of apology.
And to back up her claim, Espina should maybe produce a document attesting to the veracity of her statement.
Otherwise, she is liable for disbarment if proven guilty of perjury.
Now, if, indeed, there was no conviction as alleged by PNoy, then the least that PNoy could do to redeem himself from not only national shame but international embarrassment as well is to make a 90-degree turn and award the National Artist plum to Nora Aunor.
You make a mistake, be man enough to admit it.
And next, atone for it.
And to avoid this brouhaha from happening again, let the National Artist Awards be the exclusive domain of artists and henceforth eliminate the President from the equation.
In the first place, what’s the President got to do with the arts?
He is a politician first and foremost, sanamagan and sanamabits!
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