No more controversial exhibits, CCP told

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile yesterday warned the board members of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) against hosting future exhibits similar to the controversial Politeismo of visual artist Mideo Cruz.

Enrile, who was not able to attend the Senate’s inquiry into the exhibit last week, gave the warning during the hearing on the P202-million budget of the CCP for 2012.

The Senate leader reminded CCP president Raul Sunico that he was an original director of the CCP when it was created in 1966 and that it was the responsibility of the trustees to screen the art works that would be displayed in the institution.

Enrile said that the Politeismo section of Cruz, which was part of the “Kulo” exhibit of artists from the University of Santo Tomas, was not something that should have been exhibited in the CCP.

The art exhibit Kulo drew flak for being “sacrilegious” and “blasphemous.”

“Of course we respect the right of an artist to express himself or herself, that’s a constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression. But you can do that by going out into the public parks or to anywhere that is not supported by public money,” Enrile said.

“It’s the right of the State to say what will be exhibited and not be exhibited in that house which is supposed to be the house of the culture of the country,” he added.

Enrile called for a reexamination of the policies of the CCP as a result of the controversial exhibit.

Sunico admitted that the exhibit generated a lot of furor and controversy and that it raised various questions for the board members regarding freedom of expression and religious sensitivities.

During last week’s hearing, Sunico noted that majority of the CCP’s board members wanted to close the exhibit right away after they found out about the artwork of Cruz.

Enrile reiterated that the CCP should not be treated like any other art gallery because it represents every sector of society and is funded by the government.

“It houses every facet of our culture but to assault the sensitivities of people believing in something, I don’t think is a part of the function of the Cultural Center,” he said.

“If you do that to the Muslims, if you do something like that, I don’t think you will be pardoned. Remember the case of Rushdie,” he added, referring to Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie who was sentenced to death by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini for insulting Islam with his book “The Satanic Verses.”

The senator stressed that the CCP board must always remember that taxpayers’ money is being used to finance its operations and these taxpayers come from a diverse background in their culture and faith.

“When you deal with faith, people can die for it. That’s why you notice the reaction of some people. Anyway, I’m just cautioning you that the Cultural Center is not a center where anyone can demand to have access. That’s why you’re called trustees, you’re trustees of the culture of the country. That means you have to balance what is being exhibited there against the sensibilities of the population,” he said.