Apo Whang-od hindi pumayag magturo ng pagta-tattoo sa Nas Academy; NCIP naglabas ng ebidensiya

Apo Whang-od

KINONTRA ng National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) ang naging pahayag ng Nas Academy tungkol sa sikat at pinakamatandang nabubuhay na mambabatok sa bansa na si Apo Whang-od.

Ayon sa isinagawang imbestigasyon ng NCIP, wala umanong consent mula kay Whang-od ang inilabas na kursong Kalinga Art of Tattooing ng Nas Academy.

Hindi umano aware ang tinaguriang legendary tattoo artist sa pinirmahan nitong kontrata sa pamamagitan ng kanyang thumb mark tulad ng ipinalabas ng Nas Daily sa isang video.

Sabi ng NCIP sa inilabas na official statement, “she was not aware of any contract and she did not affix her thumb mark in any contract for this account.”

“No provision of the contract was explained or discussed to her or to her representative, or what was assured of her is external to the terms of the contract,” ang nakasaad pa sa nasabing statement.

Kung matatandaan, sa kumalat na video ng Nas Academy, makikita si Apo Whang-od na may hawak na dokumento kasama ang pamangkin nitong si Estella Palangdao, na siya umanong nag-translate ng nilalaman ng kontrata.

Ayon sa may-ari nitong si Nuseir Yassin o Nas Daily na isang kilalang Palestinian-Israeli vlogger, ito ang nagpapatunay na legal at nay kasulatan ang kasunduan nila ng kampo ni Whang-od.

Ngunit ipinagdiinan ng NCIP na, “Palangdao stated that the provisions of the contract were not explained to them except that they were made to sign the contract of filming, interview, photography, and release of such.”

Bukod dito, napag-alaman din ng NCIP na ang nasabing contract ay, “onerous to Whang-Od. The contract states that the Nas Academy has exclusive ownership of any content that the show would produce including the likeness, image, voice, etc. of Apo Whang-Od and such ownership is in perpetuity, inclusive of the right (to) alteration and the right to assign and transfer the same without consent.”

“The art of tattooing is a cultural expression and it is practiced by the ICCs/IPs of Kalinga. Teaching of said cultural manifestation or expression in an open platform accessible to millions of people would render it generic and thus it would lose its authenticity and cultural meaning,” ayon pa sa NCIP.

Kinuwestiyon din nila ang “apparent disparity” sa pagitan ng thumb print ni Whang-Od sa kontrata at sa thumb print na nakuha ng kanilang validation team, “The same is now subject to further forensic study.”  

Inilabas ni Nas Daily ang video ni Whang-Od matapos silang akusahan ng apo nitong si Gracia Palicas ng paggamit umano sa kanyang lola at sa kanilang kultura nang walang pahintulot.

Nakasama kasi ang pangalan ni Whang-Od sa mga sikat na celebrities na nakatakda sanang magturo sa mga online class ng Nas Academy.

Ayon sa nakalagay sa kanilang website, “104-year-old legend will reveal all her rituals, tools and methods for making traditional tattoos.” Nagkakahalaga ng P750 ang nasabing course.