It was only January of this year when De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s homegrown band Agsunta decided to go on a hiatus after getting non-stop slurs online not just from netizens but also from their colleagues in the music industry as well.

While the issue was neither confirmed nor denied, fans speculated that the series of tweets from December Avenue frontman Zel Bautista calling out people who “uses someone else's work for money” allegedly directed at the group led Agsunta to the decision to “sign off” from their social media accounts.

During the renewal of their contract with ABS-CBN-owned record label Star Music, Agsunta’s lead vocalist Jireh Singson addressed the issue, saying he can’t the deny the fact that they feel affected by all the hate they are getting online.

“Siyempre sa totoo lang, nakaka-epekto naman din ‘yun talaga sa’min personally. ‘Di naman maiiwasan ‘yun. Pero kumbaga, lagi lang namin iniisip na kasi hindi naman kami nagpi-play for those people—for the bashers. We’re not playing for them. We’re playing for the people who believes in us—who needs to hear our music. Kasi kumbaga ang pinaglalaban namin OPM eh. Ang pinaglalaban namin ‘yung makatulong kami sa mga tao. Kumbaga, ‘yun ‘yung pinaka nagpapa-motivate sa’min lalo,” band vocalist Jireh Singson told PUSH.

Singson also added that the hiatus became a way for them to gain back their confidence and allowed them to keep going to put out their music out into the world.

“Kaya nung nag-hiatus kami, kumbaga nag-gain kami muna ng mga lakas ng loob. Nagpalakasan kami na para makita ng mga tao na kahit na minsan babagsak ka, madadapa ka, kaya mong bumangon kasi laging mayrong bagong umaga,” he said.

Having worked with several artists in the past, Agsunta hopes to work with veterans in the rock music scene including Bamboo, Parokya Ni Edgar, and Kamikazee.

“Madami. Bamboo, ‘yang mga ‘yan. ‘Yung mga idol talaga namin. Kamikazee, Parokya. Kasi kinalakihan na namin sila. Kumbaga from the start, pinapakinggan namin. Kumbaga ‘di pa nga kami magkakakilala, sila na talaga ‘yung pinapakinggan namin since grade school, high school.

Asked what fans can expect from them now that they have renewed their contract with Star Music, Singson said: “Siyempre ang ma-eexpect nila is mas marami pa kaming ilalabas na more original content, more original songs. Actually sobrang dami naming originals na nakalineup. Kumbaga tinatrabaho lang namin lahat pero sobrang dami. Siguro for the coming years marami pa talaga kaming mare-release.”

Last April 21, Agsunta released an original song titled “Alas Dose.”