UP CMC Faculty Members Support Dr. Nicanor Tiongson

U.P. COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATION STATEMENT

9 July 2012

UP CMC faculty members support Dr. Tiongson’s freedom to express his ideas without fear of reprisal.

In an article published in Inquirer.net (July 5, 2012), former National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Executive Director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez claims that Dr. Nicanor Tiongson’s opposition in 2009 to the selection of Dolphy as National Artist resulted in the comedian’s being bypassed for the prestigious award.

What needs to be publicly clarified is that there is a strict selection process in the National Artist Awards, making it hard for just one individual to affect the outcome. There is also a need to stress that, as a member of the selection committee, Dr. Tiongson is expected to express his opinion without having to think of any backlash resulting from unethical disclosure of his peers.

The issue at this point is not Dolphy himself. What needs to be exposed is Alvarez who blatantly violated the trust and confidence given to her by her peers who participated in the selection process in 2009. As co-chair of the selection committee, she is duty-bound to ensure the confidentiality of what was said during the selection process, particularly the individual sentiments as regards those who did not get selected.

In this context, the undersigned faculty members of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) strongly denounce the actions of Alvarez’s unethical breach of confidentiality in the search process, and support Dr. Tiongson, professor emeritus of the college, and his right to free speech (especially one based on scholarship).

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CMC COLLEGE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Dean Roland B. Tolentino

Prof. Randy Jay Solis (College Secretary)

Prof. Rosa Maria Feliciano (Chair, Broadcast Communication Department)

Dr. Lourdes M. Portus (Chair, Communication Research Department)

Dr. Arminda V. Santiago (Chair, Graduate Studies Department)

Ms. Lucia L. Tangi (Chair, Journalism Department)

Prof. Roehl L. Jamon (Director, UP Film Institute)

Prof. Patrick F. Campos (Director, Office of Extension and External Relations)

FACULTY

BROADCAST Dr. Elizabeth Enriquez

Dr. Perlia Manalili

Prof. Fernando Austria, Jr.

Prof. Daphne-Tatiana Canlas

UP FILM INSTITUTE Prof. Jose Gutierrez III

Prof. Shirley Evidente

Prof. Eduardo Lejano, Jr.

Prof. Sari Raissa Dalena

Prof. Anne Marie De Guzman

JOURNALISM Prof. Rachel Khan

Prof. Danilo Arao

Ms. Kristine Felisse Mangunay

COMMUNICATION RESEARCH Dr. Florinda Mateo

Dr. Jose Lacson, Jr.

Prof. Mikee Inton

 

LECTURERS

Broadcast Communication Twink Macaraig Pinky Aseron Melba Estonilo

Communication Research Aleth Gayosa

Journalism Mark Ubalde