Ducky Paredes

“(T)he musical is our country’s collective tribute to Cory, who has inspired the entire nation with her selflessness, deep faith, strong sense of public service, humility and abiding love for all Filipinos.”

by Ducky Paredes

There have been musicals staged that treated of the lives of politicians. Some big city American mayors have been the subject of some. There was one on Jesus Christ. The most famous of all was the one on Evita Peron.
Thus, one would have thought that the most likely Pinay who would be a musicale subject would have been the dictator’s First Lady. Oh, what fun such a show would be!
Instead, what we can look forward to is what the producer claims will be “one of the year’s biggest and most significant original Filipino musicals.” This is entitled “Cory!” to be staged in October and November at the Meralco Theater.
Producer is Lourdes “Bing” Pimentel’s Buhay Isang Awit Foundation. The writer and director is respected theater artist Nestor U. Torre, who has directed and/or written acclaimed musicals like “Katy!,” “Magnificat,” “Magsimula Ka,” “Sino Ka Ba Jose Rizal?,” “Birhen ng Caysasay,” and “Pag-Ibig sa Bayan.”
Bing is the wife of Senator Nene Pimentel.  She decided to commission Torre to create a musical on Cory Aquino as her tribute to the much-admired former president, who has weathered many storms and triumphed over many challenges in the course of her eventful life.
“More than that,” she adds, “the musical is our country’s collective tribute to Cory, who has inspired the entire nation with her selflessness, deep faith, strong sense of public service, humility and abiding love for all Filipinos, for whom her husband Ninoy heroically gave his life.”
Right off, there are sponsors — SMART, PLDT and San Miguel Corporation.
According to Bing, many established stars have expressed their interest in appearing in the show Torre, as director, has decided to find the best performing talents for the musical, holding an open audition for all of the roles from the leads to the chorus.
The first audition for performers of all ages will be held at 1:00 PM on Sunday, June 29, at the Sta. Ana Arts Center Plaza Hugo, Sta. Ana, Manila. If you are interested, call Andy at 0919-2065424 or 564-8370 for details.
Bing Pimentel has composed 19 original songs for the musical, spanning a wide range of themes, emotions and styles to musically relate the various dramatic events in President Cory’s term..
Songs composed by Bing Pimentel include “Buhay Isang Awit,” “Nasaan si Hesus?” and “Pag-Ibig sa Bayan. ” Many of Mrs. Pimentel’s songs have been recorded by well-known artists like Nora Aunor, Freddie Aguilar and Dulce.
Bing hopes that the production “will remind generations of Filipino of many selfless contribution of Cory and Ninoy, proving that the Filipino is indeed worth fighting and even dying for.”
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While I can agree with the statement of the Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO) on the “abuse” by the current appointing power in naming just about anyone she likes to any position, I must disagree with their saying that she is even worse than Marcos.
The FSGO is a group of around 100 former senior officials, from the Marcos government to the Arroyo administration, who have gotten together for an advocacy on  good governance.
I must point out that Marcos had arguably the best-ever cabinet.
The present appointing power, however, has basically ignored whatever laws exist pertaining to appointments. She has appointed more commissioners than were allowed in the Bureau of Immigration; she has appointed as private sector representatives people in government; and those who do not have the required academic degrees in other positions. Thus, what is the point of saying that she is even worse than Marcos was. She is the worst President (as appointing power) that has ever been foisted upon this nation!
In fact, one reform that is clearly needed is that of taking away the appointing function from the President. Why, for instance, should the President appoint the Chairman of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA). Why not have the Secretary of Tourism do that? I use that example since the FSGO are amazed that Gloria has appointed former governor Mark Lapid to that position. But, why not? Mark plays golf and a lot of the PTA properties are golf courses, staring with the one in Intramuros.
Another that the FSGO noted was Romulo Neri’s appointment to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) even if he does not have a Ph. D., which the law requires for anyone to sit as Chairman. Again, why not leave this appointment to the Secretary of Education?
The FSGO notes: “In our estimation, no president, not even Ferdinand Marcos who ruled with authoritarian powers, has so abused the appointing power given by the Constitution and our laws based on the condition that public office will always be upheld as public trust.
“There is a surfeit of excess appointees at the top. There are more undersecretaries and assistant secretaries than the patella and the approved budgets of our departments can accommodate. But no matter—the president merely appoints whomever she pleases to whatever position she wants. She has even created positions and titles within the bureaucracy that have neither public need nor a modicum of sense.”
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I cannot agree with an older journalist who wrote in his column that removing the criminal character on libel cases is not advisable since this would only encourage more irresponsibility among journalists.
What would actually happen when libel is decriminalized and made an offense covered only by the civil (not the criminal) code is that publishers will become more exposed than his journalists. This is so since in a money judgment, it is the publisher (being the one with deeper pockets) who would be the more interesting target of a law suit.
Right now, the threat of prison makes most of us wary of the libel laws and the example of Ninez Cacho Olivares getting a guilty libel verdict (among the very few)makes us even more wary. (It probably also emboldens the politicians to sue for even the most honest criticism.
This older journalist cites as an example the many tabloids whose common raison d’etre seems to be that of assassinating the characters of officials or operators who do not kowtow to them. Would they be the main beneficiary of decriminalizing libel? On the contrary, now that the publishers will be the target of those who have been libeled, one would think that the publishers will make sure that their boys pull their punches.
hvp 06.23.08)