A collective of visual and literary creators under the Kislap Diwa cultural initiative has formally cut ties with Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, citing her alignment with a new Senate majority bloc that granted protective custody to a lawmaker facing an international arrest warrant.
In a joint statement released Wednesday, the artists and poets expressed profound disappointment over Legarda’s actions during the May 11 leadership shakeup, where she left the minority bloc of ousted Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to join forces with newly installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
“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,” the group declared.
The political reorganization coincided with the House of Representatives’ impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. Cayetano secured the Senate presidency via an unexpected 13-9-2 vote.
During the same inaugural session, the newly formed majority extended institutional protection to Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa against an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for crimes against humanity.
The cultural workers argued that Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts and spearheaded the Kislap Diwa project, compromised her integrity for political convenience.
“A senator who invokes the language of culture has now joined a bloc whose inaugural act was to shield an individual from international justice,” the artists said.
“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.”
While acknowledging that the legal enforcement of the ICC warrant remains a matter for the judiciary, the collective emphasized that their stand is rooted in ethical and artistic responsibility.
“The legal enforcement of the ICC warrant is for the courts to decide,” the collective noted. “We speak as artists to what is ours: the tradition of standing against impunity and the erosion of accountability.”
Legarda has yet to comment on her vote or her new appointment as the chamber’s second-highest official.
Moving forward, the participating artists announced they will boycott all future events, readings, or honors associated with Legarda’s office.