Dubbed “blasphemous” and “disrespectful” by most, Pura Luka Vega takes the controversy surrounding them to bigger heights. The infamous former Drag Den Philippines contestant is under fire for all the wrong reasons. With their actions, major cities already took the step to proclaim Pura Luka Vega a Persona Non-Grata. To top all of that, the drag artist is said to be facing charges due to the recent viral video.
Pura Luka Vega went to Instagram and asked for financial assistance from their followers
Yesterday, in pure Pura Luka Vega fashion, the drag artist posted a photo on Instagram donning a gold outfit. However, this is not the highlight of the post. In the caption, Pura Luka Vega asks their fans for donations and requests financial assistance in the upcoming court hearing.
“WE’RE GOING TO COURT. And we need your help more than ever 🙊. Swipe left to see the GCash QR code — your donations will go to Luka’s family and transpo/food for their court dates this September. Please add in the notes FOR LUKA when sending your support 🙏🏻. Airfunding donations are currently postponed and we’re asking you to spread this word.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CwUlEPsyueF/?img_index=1
Not long after that, netizens were furious and went ablaze online. Almost everybody mocked Pura Luka Vega, and their motion to ask for donations was met with extreme hate. The post has gone viral, but Pura Luka has turned the comments section off as of this moment.
Why is Pura Luka Vega going to court?
Pura Luka Vega mentioned that they were going to court, and although they asked for donations, they did not reveal the reason. However, we can all remember that various religious groups filed criminal charges against the drag artist. One of which is the Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM). On the other hand, Hijos del Nazareno also followed suit.
The case Pura Luka Vega faces is due to the violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, which specifically states violations against Immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions, and indecent shows. Moreover, Pura Luka is also charged in relation to the Republic Act 10175 or Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. This is all because of the controversial “Ama Namin” (Our Father) skit. Reportedly, Pura Luka’s camp will be heading to trial in September. If found guilty, they can face a hefty fine of thousands of Pesos or even receive jail time.
Who is Pura Luka Vega?
Amadeus Fernando Pagente is a Filipino drag artist professionally known as Pura Luka Vega. They have been active since 2017 and are known for being a contestant in Drag Den Philippines Season 1 in late 2022. Soon after, Pura Luka Vega was also announced as one of the eight “mudras” to appear on the first season of Mudrakels, hosted by their fellow Drag Den contestant, Lady Gagita.
Recently, Pura Luka Vega went viral and has been receiving backlash for a video they posted on Twitter wherein they are seen lip-syncing to a rock remix of Ama Namin (Our Father) while dressed in an outfit similar to that of the Black Nazarene – a devoted symbolism of Jesus Christ
This issue has enraged many and was heavily criticized by a lot of Christian believers, who claimed that their performance was inappropriate, “sacrilegious,” “blasphemous,” and “offensive.” Nonetheless, some people defended them and said that their performance was a “mere expression of art.” Pura Luka Vega addressed the issue and stated that the intention of the performance was not to offend. Rather, it was meant to express their faith.
Unfortunately, netizens aren’t the only ones offended and affected. Even legislators have spoken and have made a statement against the said performance. Philippines’ first transgender lawmaker, Bataan representative Geraldine Roman, stated in a CNN interview, “This is simply a case of disrespect for religious feelings of other people. And now, because binabatikos ka ng marami sa lipunan (because you are being criticized by many members of the society), you’re waving the queer card. Don’t be unfair kasi nga, you know what, ang masama dito magkamali ang isang member ng community, lalahatin na (what’s bad here is if one member of the community commits a mistake, it will be generalized)”, the lawmaker said.
Meanwhile, Philippine Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said, “We urge the authorities to look into this matter. Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code punishes those who offend any race or religion in the performance of obscene or indecent plays, scenes, acts, or shows in theaters, fairs, or any other place”.
Pura Luka Vega was proclaimed as Persona Non-Grata in various cities in the Philippines
As church groups and some senators criticized the behavior as profane, at least fifteen government units such as General Santos City, Floridablanca in Pampanga, Laguna, Manila, Bukidnon, Toboso (Negros Occidental), Nueva Ecija, Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro, Occidental, Mindoro, Dinagat Islands, Lucena, Mandaue City (Cebu), Bohol, and Marikina City have proclaimed Vega a Persona Non-Grata, or an unwelcomed person in Latin. This declaration would entail that a person is forbidden from entering the territory of a specific locality.
“Dagdagan n’yo pa. Pakialam ko.”
Pura Luka Vega seems to just dust off their shoulders the weight of being declared persona non grata in at least 14 areas in the country, and even challenges others to follow suit.
READ: https://t.co/GSOMuucgHK pic.twitter.com/o0sr7RIqeR
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) August 23, 2023
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