MANILA — Ai Ai de las Alas condemned Wendesday the controversial resolution of the Quezon City council declaring her persona non grata in the city, along with director Darryl Yap, triggered by their April 2022 election campaign video making fun of re-elected mayor Joy Belmonte with an image of a defaced city logo.

In the latest development in the issue, De las Alas and her lawyer, Charo Rejuso-Munsayac decried the resolution as a form of “cancellation” that will discourage artists to take on similar works in the future for fear that public officials will retaliate in a similar manner.

“We strongly condemn this act of the Quezon City council which endangers the protection granted by the freedom of expression for artists, entertainers, content creators, and comedians who use satire or parody to express sentiments or criticize public acts or figures,” De las Alas said in a statement to ABS-CBN News.

• Quezon City Council declares Ai-Ai Delas Alas, Darryl Yap 'persona non grata'

Quezon City 4th district councilor Ivy Lagman has maintained that the campaign ad violated Republic Act No. 8491, known as the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, which calls for respect and reverence to the flag, the anthem, and other national symbols embodying national ideals.

“They think they can post anything all in the name of freedom of expression? Let us draw the line,” Lagman told ABS-CBN News. “It is unacceptable to bastardize our seal. We don’t want to normalize yang pagiging bastos.”

De las Alas and her lawyer countered that the city council is “nitpicking to find basis to curb freedom of expression in the guise of defending a perceived dishonor.”

Their full statement follows:

“Today, my client, Ms. Ai Ai Delas Alas-Sibayan has received information, through social media, that a Resolution declaring her persona non grata was approved by the Quezon City council. While we are yet to receive a copy of the resolution, it was made clear that the focus was made on the alleged 'malicious and unscrupulous defacing of the official seal of Quezon City' claimed to have appeared on a video posted on the Facebook page of Vincentiments, where my client portrayed a character named 'Ligaya Delmonte'.

"The video which circulated during the campaign period is clearly a satire, a parody. It is not intended to be a statement of fact and is clearly not meant to taken seriously by the audience. The video was obviously intended to be watched and taken as a whole, all elements being fictitious, including the seal behind the character portrayed by my client.

"It is unfortunate that the city council is nitpicking to find basis to curb freedom of expression in the guise of defending a perceived dishonor.

"We strongly condemn this act of the Quezon City council which endangers the protection granted by the freedom of expression for artists, entertainers, content creators, and comedians who use satire or parody to express sentiments or criticize public acts or figures. This also endangers their livelihood since it appears to be a form of cancellation making them wary to take on similar works in fear that public officials will retaliate in similar fashion.

"As public officers, the members of the Quezon City council should be more prudent and circumspect in the exercise of their discretion and should not take hasty actions which could adversely affect my client and cause undue anxiety to her family and friends.

"While we believe that the resolution does not physically affect my client, we will be monitoring every statement made against her to ensure that my client’s rights are protected."

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