The artists and poets of the Kislap Diwa cultural project have released a letter expressing their disappointment with Senator Loren Legarda and ultimately disassociating themselves from her altogether.
Via a Facebook post containing the letter, the group voiced their disillusionment with Legarda, pointing to the appalling turn of events in the Philippine Senate, where she played a role as part of the majority bloc.
The letter criticized her actions regarding Senator Bato Dela Rosa, who is now a fugitive of justice. It narrated that Legarda contributed to the senate coup by casting the vote which lead to former Senate President Tito Sotto’s abdication and eventually replaced him with the current Senate President Alan Cayetano. The senate coup and majority votes became the catalyst in protecting Bato from accountability for his heinous actions. By granting “protective custody” to him, Bato was able to escape and has gone into hiding to this day.
The letter echoed the artists’ frustrations, “A senator who invokes the language of culture has now joined a bloc whose inaugural act was to shield an individual from international justice. She has done so in silence. Whatever her reasons, the effect is plain: 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,” they said.
A notable portion of the letter stated that “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 gravity of the artists’ sentiments carries even more weight given that Kislap Diwa was a cultural project spearheaded by none other than Legarda herself. Patronized by Legarda and entrusted with preserving the country’s cultural heritage, these poets and artists felt betrayed when her conduct ran counter to their core beliefs in truth and accountability.
The letter ended with them severing their ties with the Senator, stating that they “formally disassociate ourselves from Senator Loren Legarda and do not consent to their names, participation, and work in being used as part of her cultural legacy.”
This was not the first time Legarda’s compromised integrity earned backlash. In a previous incident, her alma mater, Assumption College, removed her portrait from its “Wall of Empowered Women,” with the student council stating that she does not embody the values of the institution.
Our Constitution states that “public office is a public trust.” These words are not there for mere formality; they reflect a principle that whoever we elect to a position of power, like a senator, must place the interests of the public before their own. With Senator Dela Rosa on the run and the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte underway in rather dubious circumstances, the trust of the Filipino people towards their public leaders has been placed into question, and it will take time to regain it.
To quote the revolutionary Emilio Jacinto, who was also quoted by Kislap Diwa in their letter to Legarda: “Ating hanapin ang liwanag, tayo’y huwag mabighani sa ningning.”
Genuine public leaders are meant to seek the light by acting with truth, clarity, and service, while avoiding the glitter, fame, and prestige that came with power.
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