Enrile lectures CCP execs in Senate budget hearing

MANILA, Philippines—Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile gave the Cultural Center of the Philippines a piece of his mind about the controversial “Kulo” art exhibit during a hearing of the subfinance committee on Tuesday.

Enrile took advantage of the presence in the hearing of CCP president Dr. Raul Sunico and subordinates to lecture them about what he thinks the center should or should not showcase as part of the country’s culture and heritage.

The Kulo exhibit was prematurely closed earlier this month partly because one of the works exhibited—Mideo Cruz’s “Poleteismo”—was vandalized.  It was denounced as “blasphemous” by the Catholic Church.

Sunico et al. were at the hearing of the subfinance committee, which was looking into the 2012 proposed budgets of several government agencies including the CCP.

“You better study the history of the creation of the CCP. I was an original director of this,” Enrile began.

“The CCP is not a cultural center of anybody but of the entire Philippines. It houses every facet (of) our culture. To assault the sensibilities of people believing in something, I don’t think that is part of the function of CCP,” the Senate president said.

Enrile did not specifically mention the “Poleteismo” installation of Cruz, one of 32 featured works in the exhibit staged to mark the 150th birth anniversary of national hero Jose Rizal.

Enrile, among a bevy of senators who took offense, has threatened to cut the annual government subsidy given to the CCP.

“If you do that to the Muslims, if you do something like that, I don’t think you will be pardoned,” Enrile’s rant continued.

“Remember the case of (Salman) Rushdie? When you deal with faith, people (are willing to) die for it … Anyway, I’m just cautioning you that the Cultural Center is not a center for (personal whims),” he said.

The Indian-British Rushdie was given a “fatwa,” or death sentence, by the Ayatolla Khomeini of Iran in 1989 for his novel “The Satanic Verses (1988),” which conservative Muslims found offensive to Islam. The Ayatollah’s move, however, was denounced by many democratic governments. The prize-winning author was given police protection in the UK; in 2007 he was appointed a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II for “services to literature.”

Enrile continued: “That’s why you’re called trustees … You’re trustees of the culture of the country; that means you have to balance what is (exhibited) there against the sensibilities of the population.”

“Thank you, Your Honor. We are very much aware of that,” Sunico replied.

Senator Edgardo Angara intervened at this point and reminded Enrile that the CCP board has started to review “the entire policy for visual and performance.”

“Just present your budget here,” Angara advised Sunico.

“Baka mabawasan pa ’yan (It may be reduced),” he added in jest.

The center is asking for a P202-million government subsidy for 2012, a measly increase of less than P330,000 from its allowance this year.

Sunico later told the Senate finance subcommittee that the CCP has request for two straight years a P40 million increase for training and production expenses, arts and education outreach programs, and the repair of aging buildings.

“Even if the increase is granted by the Senate, the Department of Budget and Management declines. We hope it’s still possible to (consider) this request,” Sunico said.

The artistic staff of the CCP had defended their decision to host the art exhibit, citing the artists’ freedom of expression.