Before the end of the year 2007, the NCCA invited all artists and cultural workers to join the various national committees of the Commission, and to participate in the election of officers in December. The election of the members and officers of the National Committee on Language and Translation (NCLT) was set on 12 December but the date was moved 10 December. The NCLT had its announcements made through the NCCA-Project Management Division PMD.
The following is the series of events that lead to the present NCLT state of affairs and had put a stop to the election of the Chair of the Subcomission on Cultural Dissemination (SCD).
21 November 2007: Meeting of the old NCLT and the screening of applicants
During its meeting with the previous NCLT Executive Council, the PMD presented the applications as well as the reapplications of the old members. Of the thirty seven (37) applications, twenty seven (27) were accepted as members of the NCLT. The PMD was charged with the task of informing the 27 members about the assembly and the election to be held on 10 December in the NCCA offices in Intramuros.
6 December 2007: Nolasco’s first letter
A letter of petition was sent by Ricardo Ma. Nolasco (Chair, Commission on Filipino Language) to the NCCA (addressed to Acting Chair Vilma L. Labrador) to reset the scheduled NCLT elections on 12 December. Reasons: (1) Failure to communicate with stakeholders and (2) Gross underrepresentation of the sector and mass disenfranchisement.
7 December 2007: Dr. Zafra replied to Nolasco
Dr. Galileo Zafra, NCLT Secretary, replied to Nolasco. Dr. Zafra made it clear that: firstly, the NCCA was not remiss in inviting members to the NCLT. Secondly, the presence of individuals, groups, and institutions, that submitted applications to meet the minimum number of twenty (20), was more than enough to go on with the assembly. Thirdly, the NCLT and PMD were not negligent in evaluating applications in accordance with the published criteria for NCLT membership. Fourthly, the organizations which did not apply for membership, as cited by Nolasco, may not have done so because of lack of interest.
8 December 2007: Appeals Committee resolution regarding Nolasco’s First Letter
NCCA Executive Director Cecile Guidote Alvarez issued a memo entitled “So Truth May Prevail,” supposedly on 8 December. The memo was circulated on 17 December. Alvarez said that during an emergency meeting of NCCA’s Appeals Committee (composed of outgoing subcommission heads, executive director, and the acting chair), the members of the committee could not act on the KWF petition “unless there is documentary material to give substance to its protest.” Subsequently, the scheduled NCLT election pushed through.
10 December 2007: NCLT election in the NCCA office
On 10 December, twenty five (25) NCLT members participated in the elections. The issues raised by Nolasco in his first letter to the NCCA were discussed with his representative Joe Lad Santos, KWF Commissioner. The members answered the questions brought up by of Commissioner Santos during the assembly. After the clarifications, the elections proceeded as scheduled with the participation of Commissioner Santos.
The following were elected as NCLT Executive Committee members:
Institutional
- WIKA (Virgilio S. Almario)
- SANGFIL (Corazon L. Santos)
- PSW (Jimmuel Naval)
- ARAM FIL (Rosario Torres-Yu)
- UPV Sentro ng Wikang Filipino (John Barrios)
- SALIN (Aurora Batnag)
- UST Faculty of Arts and Letters-Department of Languages (Imelda de Castro)
Individual
- Lourdes Barcenas
- Abdon Balde, Jr.
- Teresita Fortunato
- Michael Coroza
- Jovy Peregrino
The NCLT Executive Committee elected the following as officers: Virgilio S. Almario, Chair; Rosario Torres-Yu, Vice Chair; Corazon L. Santos, Secretary; and Imelda de Castro, Second Secretary.
10 December 2007: Nolasco’s Second Letter
Minutes after the elections, NCLT received a one-page letter of protest from Nolasco who described the election as “illegal and fake.” He also asked that his letter of protest be included in proceedings but the newly elected NCLT Executive Committee denied his request.
13 December 2007: Nolasco’s Third Letter
Nolasco sent a new letter addressed to Acting Chair Labrador, the letter reiterated his opposition to the NCLT election based on reasons he already mentioned in his first letter. Further, he asserted accusations that most of the NCLT members were involved in “interlocking directorates/affiliates in a common entity or association” composed of SANGFIL, FIT, WIKA, etc.
13 December 2007: Labrador’s memo announcing the cancellation of the SCD election
At around 8:30 in the evening, an NCCA staff member informed Virgilio S. Almario via cell phone that the SCD election scheduled the following day was cancelled. The call’s source was the memo issued by Acting Chair Labrador to “NCCA Secretariat (COMELEC); Subcommission on Cultural Dissemination (elected Chairman); NCLT Chairman; KWF Chairman; and Members of the Electoral Tribunal.” The NCCA Secretariat received the memo at 7:32 a.m on 14 December.
In the memo, Labrador decided to: (1) reschedule the SCD election until the Nolasco petition is resolved by the NCCA Board in a meeting set on 18 December; (2) call for an “Electoral Tribunal” meeting on 17 December, 3:00 p.m. to shed light on the Nolasco accusation and to allow the NCLT make an appropriate action. Furthermore, the memo stated that (1) a “full report” will be prepared during the Board meeting on 18 December and (2) she will make sure that Nolasco of the KWF and “NCLT elected chairman” Virgilio S. Almario will attend the meeting.
14 December 2007: Election of the Subcommission on Cultural Dissemination
Almario went to the NCCA to ask about the cancellation of the SCD election. Newly elected officers of two other SCD committees, Elmar Ingles and Fred Gabot, went to the NCCA too. The three attempted to hold a meeting but the PMD refused to take the minutes.
15 December 2007: Letter of Almario to Acting Chair Labrador
In the letter, Almario disproved Nolasco’s allegations and stressed that according to the 10 December elections administered by the PMD-Comelec, no rules were violated in regard to the composition of NCLT members. Almario also pointed out that Nolasco’s claim about the “interlocking directorates/affiliates” is nowhere to be found in any of the NCLT and NCCA rulings. Thus, it cannot be used as cause of protest against the NCLT elections. Almario also expressed NCLT’s view that Nolasco’s moves are mere indications of his abuse of power. The NCLT maintained that Nolasco’s assumptions are irrelevant because he is meddling with the prerogatives of the NCLT as a committee of private individuals and organizations.
See Virgilio Almario’s December 15, 2007
17 December 2007: Tribunal meeting in the NCCA
As a response to the Labrador memo, Almario and most of the newly elected NCLT members, and other members of concerned language groups appeared at the NCCA office. Nolasco and his attorney also attended the meeting.
In the said meeting, Labrador stated (contrary to what she said in her 13 December memo) that no “hearing” will be held and that she only wanted to know what each side have to say. She first gave the floor to Nolasco who read in full the copy of his letter of complaint dated 13 December. When Nolasco was through, he unceremoniously walked out of the meeting. Labrador resumed the meeting, paying attention to Almario and the other NCLT members.
Before the meeting ended, the NCLT group asked Labrador if an Electoral Tribunal will be constituted to hear the case. Labrador explained it will all depend on the decision of the Board of Commissioners on 18 December. She further explained that if an Electoral Tribunal be constituted, the two parties will be given ten (10) days to submit their statements. This period does not include holidays because it so happened that the Christmas and New Year season was about to take place.
21 December 2007: Letter of the NCLT Legal Counsel to Labrador
The NCLT Legal Counsel wrote to Labrador, petitioning to proceed with the postponed SCD elections because there was no basis for stopping it in the first place, and that it should be held on 3 January 2008 at 2:00 p.m. in the NCCA office.
29 December 2007: Petition from Nolasco’s legal counsel
Almario received a copy dated 27 December of the “Petition to declare as null and void the 10 December NCLT Elections” issued by Nolasco’s legal counsel. This surprised the NCLT since it has not received any notice from the NCCA Board of Commissioners regarding an Electoral Tribunal hearing.
2 January 2008: Letter from the NCLT legal counsel
The legal counsel of the NCLT sent a letter reiterating the petition that an SCD election be held on 3 January 2008. The NCLT legal counsel warned that if the holding of the elections continue to be postponed, the NCLT may file an appropriate legal action, in accordance with the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Law (Republic Act 3019), against Nolasco and involved NCCA officials.
3 January 2008: Emailed documents re: NCLT case
Almario received in the email the following documents: (1) letter from Executive Director Cecile Guidote Alvarez addressed to Almario dated 2 January 2008 stating the decision of the NCCA Board of Commissioners in its meeting on 18 December 2007 regarding the formation of an Appeals Board for the purpose of conducting hearings relative to the complaints on the NCCA Committees and SubCommission elections and thus it was advised that the SCD Head election in the afternoon of 3 January be stopped; (2) letter addressed to Atty. Redemberto R. Villanueva, NCLT legal counsel, which contained statements similar to those found in # (1); (3) copy of the Resolution No. 2007-364 from the minutes of the NCCA Board of Commissioners meeting held on 18 December 2007 and entitled “Constituting the Board Executive Council and Authorizing the Same to Act as an Appeals Board” prepared by Ms. Ma. Theresa C. Carlos, Board Secretary; (4) copy of Office Order No. OC-2007-1228-145 dated 28 December and entitled “Formation of the Appeals Board.” Described in the said Order is the composition of the Appeals Board and its function to conduct hearings relative to election complaints, and the deadline for the submission of a report on 13 January 2008 or before the next Board of Commissioners meeting.
