CAP Protest Statement on CCP Event to Honor Imelda

Concerned Artists of the Philippines
Protest the Arroyo regime's lavish cultural tribute to Imelda Marcos!

The Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) joins concerned Filipinos in protesting tonight's lavish cultural event organized by the Arroyo government through the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to praise Imelda Marcos' so-called patronage of the arts.

We find mounting tonight's event needless, profligate and immoral, considering specially that public funds were used. There are far more appropriate and meaningful ways for the CCP to commemorate its 40th year, and the current CCP Board should not have taken leave of their better senses in going ahead with this event.

The Filipino people have nothing to thank Imelda, even for establishing the CCP. It is precisely when the institution transcends its origins as an extravagant, elitist and insensitive undertaking of a tyrannical regime that the CCP has its finest moments. Only an equally corrupt, fascist and puppet power clique like the Arroyo power circle can ever be obliged to pay tribute to a paragon of corruption, repression and moribund politics that Imelda is.

Tonight's CCP tribute to Imelda is another bleak manifestation of the festering crisis in Philippine culture and the arts. It highlights once again that the dominance of fascist, feudal and colonial culture remains in our society, to the benefit of the utterly corrupt and intolerably oppressive like Imelda Marcos and the Arroyo regime, and to the detriment of justice, freedom, democracy and dignity for our people.

We remind our colleagues in this cultural institution that, as responsible Filipino artists and cultural professionals, we ought not to be party to indulging our people to forget the grievous sins of dictatorship. How can we move on as a people if we deny ourselves learning from the very fundamental lessons history has verily taught us, lessons paid in dear blood by Inang Bayan's modern martyrs and finest sons & daughters? Going blind over the Marcos tyranny's monumental corruption, fascism and puppetry does not foster an arts and culture worthy of the Filipino. We urge our colleagues in the field of arts and culture to stand their ground and not to vacillate and be coopted on the matter of moribund politics.

The CAP itself has been one of the leading cause-oriented organizations that overthrew the yoke of despotism in 1986. Our joining this picket tonight is our proud way of saying "When we say 'Never Again', we mean it!".