"As a rule, the NHI honors national heroes, illustrious Filipinos and other personages who had achieved enduring contributions towards the enrichment of the Filipino heritage and whose experiences have greatly contributed to the cultural-historical experience of the Filipinos," a curt one-page letter from NHI director Salvador Pleyto III to the Pasay City Council read in part.
A brainchild of Councilor Justo Justo, the monument was envisioned to be a stone sculpture depicting a life-sized naked Salazar embracing a seven-foot penis surrounded by a throng of young men.
Earlier, Justo filed a resolution for the construction of the monument at the corner of F.B. Harrison street and Gil Puyat Avenue. In his proposal, the city government would allot P500,000 for the scheme.
Justo’s colleagues rejected the proposal outright, saying the city government might become a laughing stock. They described the proposed monument as "indecent and scandalous."
To mollify Justo, Councilor Romulo Cabrera sent the proposal to the NHI and promised that the city council would reconsider the decision if the NHI decides in its favor.
Justo, for his part, is not ready to give up on his proposal just yet.
The councilor, who is reportedly eyeing the city’s lone congressional seat in next year’s elections, disagreed with Pleyto, saying Salazar made a big contribution to the AIDS cause.
"Definitely, she could be considered a Filipino hero because of her act of coming out and educating people on AIDS. There have been many married people who have become chaste in their marriages and have turned away from promiscuity" Justo said.
Justo vowed to continue his advocacy for the construction of the monument, adding that he will even propose that Salazar be beatified.
Salazar was one of the first to come out publicly that she was afflicted with the disease which is still has no cure. She died last June from the sickness, shortly after giving birth to a son she had with a 17 year-old lover.