Aquino confirms Arroyo proclamation making FPJ national artist

Fernando Poe, Jr. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—President Aquino has confirmed an earlier proclamation declaring the late movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. a national artist six years ago.

“Pursuant to the authority vested in me by law, I Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Philippines, do hereby confirm the declaration of Ronald Allan K. Poe, a.k.a. Fernando Poe Jr. (posthumous) as National Artist as conferred in Proclamation No. 1069, dated May 23, 2006,’’ Mr. Aquino said in Proclamation No. 435 dated July 20.

“It’s a confirmation because the National Artist award has been previously conferred on the late FPJ,’’ Abigail Valte, one of Mr. Aquino’s spokespersons, said at a news briefing.”As we all know, for reasons of their own the family was not able to accept the award previously.’’

Poe, who died of a massive stroke in December 2004, was honored posthumously in 2006 during the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. His family did not attend the formal conferment of the award in May 2006.

Poe ran as the opposition presidential candidate but lost to Arroyo by about a million votes. His family had accused Arroyo of stealing the vote from him.

After President Aquino took office in June 2010, Poe’s widow Susan Roces, and daughter Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, now head of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, expressed hope they would receive the award.