SINGAPORE — Twelve years ago, Francisco
‘Kiko’ Escora was already happy when a painting of his
fetched P3,000 at an exhibit in Manila.
But today Escora must be ecstatic; his
works are being snapped up not only in his home country,
where they now average P70,000 a piece, but also in places
like Singapore, where Escora paintings are bought for
S$4,000 each, or a cool hundred grand based on a
P30:S$1conversion.
This is despite the fact that Escora’s
paintings, which can at times deal with dark and sexual
themes, aren’t the type that one hangs in the living room
to match the color of the sofa (which is often the main
criterion for someone looking for art). As the 37-year-old
artist himself admits, "My work is not for everyone. My
paintings have to be viewed by the right audience."
SEN. Joker Arroyo yesterday said the Senate
and Malacañang have no one to blame but themselves for the
failure of Higher Education chair Romulo Neri and Rodolfo Noel
Lozada, his former consultant at the National Economic
Development Authority, to attend the joint Senate hearing on the
anomalous $329-million national broadband deal.
"Both sides (Senate, Palace) don’t follow the
Supreme Court. Questions should be sent in advance (by the
Senate) so that Cabinet members could prepare," Arroyo said in a
media briefing at the Senate.
He said one of the requirements of the
tribunal is that the Senate furnish beforehand its target
Cabinet members and government officials its list of possible
questions.
