Five national artists on Friday formally endorsed the vice presidential bid of Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
In Bulacan, National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario read the manifesto declaring the support of five national artists – BenCab, Ryan Cayabyab, Alice Reyes, Ramon Santos, and himself – for Pangilinan’s candidacy.
“Naniniwala din kami na kailangan ang magkatulong na pangangasiwa nina Leni Robredo at Kiko Pangilinan para maisagawa ang mga adhika ng Kartilya ng KKK2022 na iniharap at ipinangakong tutupdin ni Leni Robredo kapag nagwagî sa eleksiyong ito (We also believe in the tandem leadership of Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan to carry out the objective of the ‘Kartilya ng Katipunan sa Kultura at Kasaysayan 2022’ that Leni Robredo presented and promised to fulfill if she wins in the elections),” the manifesto read.
The KKK2022 is an organization that aims to preserve and enrich the teachings during the 1986 revolt.
The group is fond of culture, the national language, and literature.
In their manifesto, the five artists expressed their confidence that the Leni-Kiko tandem is the best and should earn the people’s vote in the May 9 elections.
They said Robredo’s administration would be more secure if Pangilinan would be her vice president.
“Naniniwala kami na bukod sa matapat sa mga adhika ni Leni Robredo para sa bayan ay may mga talino at mahusay na karanasan si Kiko Pangilinan upang matupad ang mga tungkulin ng isang bise-presidente (We believe that aside from staying true to Leni Robredo’s objective for the country, Kiko Pangilinan also has the intelligence and great experience to fulfill the responsibilities of a vice president),” the national artists said.
Pangilinan said his wife, megastar Sharon Cuneta, is also an arts and culture worker.
“Sa April 28, (ay) 26 years na kaming kasal ni Sharon. Bakit kami nagtagal ng 26 years? Kapag mahal mo ang iyong kabiyak, hindi mo sya sasaktan. Mamahalin mo sya. Ganoon din ang pagmamahal sa bayan, sa taumbayan (It will be our 26th wedding anniversary on April 28. Why did our marriage reach 26 years? If you love your spouse, you wouldn’t hurt him/her. You would love him/her. The same is true for your love for the country,” he shared.
Pangilinan noted that it is important to value the trust given by the public.
“Pag ikaw ay nangako, nakuha mo yung matamis na ‘oo’ ng ating mga kababayan, kinakailangan pangalagaan mo yung tiwala na yon. Tatlong termino po binigay nyo ang inyong tiwala sa akin bilang senador. Tingnan natin kung sinsero at nakikita yon sa gawa (If you make promises and you got the approval of the public, it is necessary to value that trust. The public trusted me as a senator for three terms. Let us see who is sincere, and that could be seen in actions),” he said.
The five national artists, meanwhile, are urging writers, artists, cultural workers, and the Filipino people to vote for the Leni-Kiko tandem.
In February, the five national artists also endorsed Robredo’s presidential bid and even staged an event called “Pusuan ang Sining at Kultura: State of the HeART” in Quezon City.
