Team DailyPedia
A group of Filipino artists and poets involved in the Kislap Diwa cultural project has formally disassociated itself from Loren Legarda following recent controversies surrounding developments in the Senate.
In a strongly worded statement, the group expressed disappointment over Legarda’s recent actions, particularly her support for the new Senate majority and her vote for Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President.
“Championship of the arts is not measured by past patronage. It is measured by the courage to stand against political convenience when it is costly to do so. On this, the Senator has failed,” the statement read.
A total of 23 members of the Kislap Diwa project signed the statement. Among them were visual artists Fil dela Cruz, Virgilio Aviado, Salvador Ching, Alfredo Esquillo, Kora Dandan Albano, Celeste Lecaroz, Paul Eric Roca, Waway Saway, and Richard Montero.
The signatories also included poets Fidel Rillo, Vim Nadera, Michael M. Coroza, Mikael de Lara Co, Aldrin Pentero, Roy Cagalingan, Niles Jordan Breis, En Villasis, Anastacia B. Viola, Edgar Calabia Samar, Noel del Prado, Alfonso Manalastas, Ralph Lorenz Fonte, and Joey Tabula.
Kislap Diwa was a collaborative cultural arts initiative supported by Senator Legarda that paired poets and visual artists to reinterpret intangible Filipino cultural heritage through paintings, sculptures, and poetry. The project was mounted in 2023 and 2025, with exhibitions held at the National Museum of the Philippines.
In their statement, the artists and poets said they once believed in Legarda’s image as a patron of culture and the arts.
“We, the artists and poets who participated in Kislap Diwa under the patronage of Senator Loren Legarda, write in dismay and sorrow over the recent conduct of the Senate of the Republic. For years, the Senator has presented herself as a defender of culture and creative life. Many of us believed her. Our gathering was made possible by that belief. But her recent actions have put this belief in serious doubt.”
The group specifically criticized Legarda’s silence regarding her support for the Senate bloc that allegedly provided “protective custody” to Ronald dela Rosa, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.
The statement also referenced the political tensions surrounding the transmission of the second articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte and the reported gunfire incident inside the Senate building on May 13.
“On May 13, gunfire inside the Senate building made unmistakable the alarming lengths to which institutional integrity has been compromised in service of political interests,” the statement read.
The group further accused Legarda of aligning herself with a Senate bloc that, according to them, chose to shield an individual from international accountability.
“She has lent her name and through her, a portion of ours, to a Senate that has chosen to be a refuge rather than a forum.”
Quoting revolutionary hero Emilio Jacinto, the artists and poets ended their statement with a firm declaration of separation from Legarda and her office.
“Ating hanapin ang liwanag, tayo’y huwag mabighani sa ningning.”
They added: “We formally disassociate ourselves from Senator Loren Legarda. We do not consent to our names, participation, or work under Kislap Diwa being used as part of her cultural legacy or in support of her political conduct. We will not accept further invitations to appear, read, or be honored in any capacity associated with her office.”
