Dennis Gaviola

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17792614775901779261476995.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Senator Loren Legarda takes her oath before Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano after she was elected as the new Senate President Pro Tempore on May 11, 2026. Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau/File"/><span class="fr-inner">Senator Loren Legarda takes her oath before Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano after she was elected as the new Senate President Pro Tempore on May 11, 2026. <em>Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>The artists and poets of a project spearheaded by Loren Legarda have severed their ties with the senator, saying her <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/cayetano-replaces-sotto-as-senate-president-1539">recent political actions</a> no longer reflect the values they uphold. </p><p>The members of Kislap Diwa released a statement on Wednesday, May 20, to &quot;formally disassociate ourselves&quot; from Legarda, who envisioned the initiative with National Artist Virgilio Almario to preserve and promote Filipino culture and heritage.</p><p>First held in 2023 in partnership with institutions such as the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Kislap Diwa has been known for bringing together visual artists, poets, and cultural advocates.</p><p>In the statement, 10 artists and 14 poets expressed their &quot;dismay and sorrow over the recent conduct of the Senate of the Republic,&quot; specifically Legarda. </p><p>&quot;For years, the Senator has presented herself as a defender of culture and the 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,&quot; the group said.</p><p>&quot;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,&quot; it added. &quot;Whatever her reasons, the effect is plain: she has lent her name and through her, a portion of ours, to a Senate who has chosen to be a refuge rather than a forum.&quot;</p><p>The artists and poets of Kislap Diwa said they refuse to be associated with Legarda in any way as she has failed to champion the arts.</p><p>&quot;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,&quot; the group stressed.</p><p>&quot;This severance is offered without theatrics. It is a fulfillment of the artist&#x27;s obligation to the republic: to speak plainly when power falters and to refuse the use of our names in the service of what we can defend.&quot;</p><p>Read the full statement below, as published by San Anselmo Press:</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsananselmopress%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0eY7K2ULUYjBAQ9mF5CoGJXZKDgyD4KeWReDCXFxtgwGNm3sZkinw2xe9NYHZmzbWl&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="250" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Kislap Diwa&#x27;s statement came after Legarda was called out by her alma maters <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/16/up-assumption-students-call-on-legarda-to-reflect-on-values-after-senate-coup-1117">for joining the new majority bloc led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.</a></p><p>The Outstanding Women in the Nation&#x27;s Service (TOWNS) Foundation, which recognized her as one of its honorees in 1995 for her work in broadcast journalism, also expressed its disappointment over the senator&#x27;s recent actions.</p><p>&quot;Her recent political decisions have caused dismay among many who once looked to her as a model of principled leadership,&quot; TOWNS Foundation said in a statement released Tuesday, May 19.</p><p>&quot;We therefore urge Senator Loren Legarda to reflect deeply on whether her recent actions honor the values for which she was recognized as a TOWNS awardee,&quot; it added, saying she still has the chance to &quot;help restore confidence in democratic institutions.&quot;</p><p>Read the statement of TOWNS Foundation below:</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftownsfoundationinc%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0X2Fbgrq3GRGzeWAyfhCYciETbSgWLsiieqc46UFuJdnuhJiwAP2HGPMoeyBxUwScl&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="497" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The artists and poets of a project spearheaded by Loren Legarda have severed their ties with the senator, saying her recent political actions no longer reflect the values they uphold.</p>

The artists and poets of a project spearheaded by Loren Legarda have severed their ties with the senator, saying her recent political actions no longer reflect the values they uphold.

Artists, poets of Loren Legarda's Kislap Diwa project cut ties with senator

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Artists, poets of Loren Legarda's Kislap Diwa project cut ties with senator

ABS-CBN News

Published May 20, 2026 03:22 PM PHT

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Loren Legarda

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Kislap Diwa

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