Nora Aunor Dies at 71 — Nation Mourns While Critics Question State Honors Amid Past Drug Scandal

Filipino screen legend and cultural icon Nora Aunor has died at the age of 71, prompting an outpouring of tributes  and a wave of controversy.

While many Filipinos are mourning the loss of the National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, critics are raising eyebrows over the government’s decision to grant her a state funeral, citing her 2005 drug arrest in the United States.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called Aunor a gift to the Filipino nation, praising her decades-long career that spanned 170 films and hundreds of songs. However, some have accused the state of “whitewashing” her legacy, suggesting that public honors of such magnitude should be reserved for those with unblemished reputations.

Social media has since exploded with heated debates, with some defending Aunor’s legacy as a working-class icon who shattered beauty standards and rose from poverty, while others question whether fame alone should overshadow personal controversies.

As preparations are made for her burial at the National Heroes Cemetery, the nation remains split — mourning a star, but divided over the hero.