The Mandaue City Council passes the resolution declaring Pura Luka Vega persona non grata for ‘Ama Namin’ drag performance, which they considered offensive and disrespectful. | Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The Mandaue City Council has approved during its session on Tuesday, August 22, a resolution declaring Amadeus Fernando Pagente popularly known as Pura Luka Vega, persona non grata or “unwelcome person” in Mandaue.
The resolution states that Vega’s ‘Ama Namin’ drag performance was highly offensive and disrespectful which is sacrilegious in nature and tantamount to travesty of the Christian faith.
READ: Pura Luka Vega repeats performance amid lawsuit, ‘persona non grata’ tag
‘Ama Namin’ drag performance
Vega, during one of his drag performances, dressed as Jesus Christ and performed a remix song of “Ama Namin”, which went viral and drew flak from religious Catholics.
City Councilor Malcolm Sanchez, author of the resolution and chairman of the Committee on Education, said that he would not condone Vega’s action and believed that his performance was a mockery of God.
“I am not condoning the act of Pura Luka Vega for committing blasphemy and then pagyaga-yaga (ridiculing) bit, though he is entitled to his religious belief but that religious belief does not give him the license to mock the supreme being,” said Sanchez.
READ: Pura Luka Vega nag atubang og laing kaso, mga deboto sa itom nga Nazareno ang mireklamo
Persona non grata
Vega was also declared persona non grata by different local government units in the country such as Cebu City, Manila City, General Santos City, Bukidnon, Dinagat Islands, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, and Cagayan De Oro, among others.
Earlier, Vega posted in X formerly known as Twitter, that he is open for a dialogue.
“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 do not even know me.”
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