A framed photo of Senator Loren Legarda now hangs in her son’s congressional office — put there, it seems, with quiet deliberate intent.
Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste posted a photo of himself in barong Tagalog, smiling up at his mother’s portrait on the wall behind him. His caption: “May magandang portrait sa office ko ❤️”
The post came days after Assumption College San Lorenzo removed Legarda’s portrait from its Wall of Empowered Women, leaving a blank frame in its place — a public rebuke from the institution where Legarda finished her elementary and high school education.
The Assumption Student Council, signing on behalf of school years 2025–2026 and 2026–2027, said Legarda’s vote for Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President — cast two days before the transmission of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte — raised concerns that the leadership change was politically engineered to delay or derail the proceedings.
The council’s statement was titled “The women we honor must embody the values we teach,” and framed the call for removal as rooted not in hostility but in accountability. “Recognition within our institution must reflect not only achievement, but also character, responsibility and moral courage,” it said.
The council also called on Legarda to reassess her recent decisions and “reflect on the principles she once upheld as a student and as a public figure,” expressing hope that she would “confront this moment with integrity and a clear sense of duty.”
Leviste, for his part, had voted against the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte in the House.
As of the time of the portrait’s removal, Legarda’s office had not issued a public response.
