Pura Luka Vega is Persona Non Grata in Manila + Three Other LGUs for "Ama Namin" Stint

(SPOT.ph) Drag queen Pura Luka Vega, who went viral for their controversial "Ama Namin" video, is declared persona non grata by the city council of Manila on Tuesday, August 8 for blasphemy and for mocking the Christian faith.

Pura Luka Vega—real name Amadeus Fernando Pagente—wore a Black Nazarene-inspired costume while dancing to the religious hymn at a bar, earning the ire of religious leaders and other Catholic faithful, and later, the local government. It's the fourth local government unit (LGU) to declare the drag artist as unwelcome in their area after General Santos City, Floridablanca in Pampanga, and Toboso in Negros Occidental.

“Ito pong taong ito ay walang habas at 'di man lang pinag-isipan ang kanyang ginawa…(I)sang kalapastangan po ang kanyang ginawang palabas. Hindi po dapat itong palagpasin kasi 'pag pinalagpas natin ito, baka maparisan po ito. Kailangan na po nating gumawa ng aksyon," said Councilor Ricardo "Boy" Isip, who is also the principal author of the resolution.

The latest resolution—a "strong statement" of the city council against the drag artist—was unanimously approved by the 12th City Council of Manila, based on a release in the city council's official website.  

So what does this mean for Pura Luka Vega? 

"Meron po siyang karapatan pangtao gaya po ng puntahan ang lugar na gusto n'ya", Isip told SPOT.ph.

Also read: Yassified Worship? Here's What Religious Leaders Think About the "Ama Namin" Drag Act

The Manila City Council on Pura Luka Vega's "Ama Namin" performance

The resolution said that many of the residents there are Catholics, and that the city is the where the Quiapo Church is—aka the home of the Black Nazarene. The Feast of the Black Nazarene (Traslacion) is annually held there every January 9 and is considered one of the biggest religious events in the world. Here, millions of barefoot devotees join the grand reenactment of the Black Nazarene's transfer from Intramuros to Quiapo Church.

Freedom of speech shouldn't be used to offend religious feelings, said councilor Jaybee Hizon.

"Kung gusto mong makatanggap ng respeto, respetuhin mo ang sarili mo," said Ruben Buenaventura as quoted in the official website.

The copy of the resolution will also be sent to Mayor Honey Lacuna, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Quiapo Church, the barangays and the police. It will also be sent to commercial establishments like malls, bars, clubs, cinemas, and theaters, according to the resolution.

Pura Luka Vega's reaction 

Pura Luka Vega, or @ama_survivah on X (formerly Twitter), has this to say after the news broke.

"Tell me EXACTLY what I did wrong. I’m open for a dialogue and yet cities have been declaring persona non grata without even knowing me or understanding the intent of the performance. Drag is art. You judge me yet you don’t even know me."

Aside from the multiple persona non grata declarations, Pura Luka Vega is also being sued by Christian church leaders under Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM).

Also read: What Does 'Persona Non-Grata' Mean in the Philippines?