Malacañang on Saturday stood by its ground on its recent choices of seven new National Artists despite complaints made by some renowned Filipino artists that some of the new National Artists were named for “political accommodation.”

“I think we can defend the track record and qualifications in which they were named National Artist,” acting executive secretary Gabriel Claudio said in a radio interview yesterday.

The seven new National Artists are National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) executive director Cecille Guidote Alvarez for theater; Manuel Urbano, also known as Manuel Conde, for film and broadcast arts (posthumous); Lazaro Francisco for literature (posthumous); Federico Aguilar Alcuaz for visual arts, painting, sculpture and mixed media; Magno Jose Carlo Caparas for visual arts and film; Francisco “Bobby” Mañoza for architecture; and Jose “Pitoy” Moreno for the field of fashion design.

Claudio reiterated that the list of National Artists was a “product of consultations” and process that emanated from the NCCA as well as other agencies involved in the selection process.

“We acknowledge other people’s opinion but we stand by the list — it was a product of a thorough process and we stand by the qualifications, qualities, track record, and reputation of those who were named as National Artists,” Claudio said.

Several National Artists, including Ben Cabrera, Arturo Luz, Napoleon Abueva and Bienvenido Lumbera earlier said they will be boycotting the awarding ceremony for National Artists as the inclusion of some names in the list of National Artists are being questioned.

The Order of National Artists was bestowed upon the seven personalities earlier this week by Malacañang. The award is the highest national recognition given to Filipino artists, particularly in the fields of music, dance, theater, visual arts, literature, film and broadcast arts, and architecture and allied arts.

The country started given out the award for National Artists in 1972.