Manila, Philippines. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) issued a statement saying it has nothing to do with the case of theater artist Marcelino “Mars” Cavestany, a naturalized Australian citizen who was denied entry at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last March 6.
Cavestany was barred from entering the country based on a blacklist order signed by former Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, for being HIV positive.
Cavestany alleged that the blacklist order was requested by the office of Malou Jacob, executive director of the NCCA, and called the move “a case of harassment.” Jacob said the Cavestany case is connected with the Susan Claudio case, and not with the NCCA.
According to Jacob, both Cavestany and Claudio used to work with the office of retired NCCA executive director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez and that they got into a fight on March 12, 2010.
“Mr. Cavestany and Ms. Claudio had a big fight. Mr. Cavestany started to scratch Ms. Claudio, shouting repeatedly: ‘Do you want my blood?’ Then, he hit her with a computer chair. There were several witnesses,” Jacob said in the NCCA press statement.
Jacob also reiterated that the Bureau of Immigration is independent of the NCCA and vice versa. (Source: ABS-CBN news.com)
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