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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Metro Manila devider Christian church leaders file raps vs Pura Luka Vega over viral 'Ama Namin' performance

Christian church leaders file raps vs Pura Luka Vega over viral 'Ama Namin' performance

Published Aug 1, 2023 12:30 pm
A coalition of Christian church leaders has filed charges against drag queen Pura Luka Vega over his viral "Ama Namin" performance. Photo from Mark Balmores/ MANILA BULLETIN
The Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM) lodged the complaints against Pura Luka Vega (real name Amadeus Fernando Pagente) at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, July 31, for alleged violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code and Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. PJM president Bishop Leo Alconga and Pastors Romie Suela and Mars Rodriguez individually filed their complaints. They represented their respective local churches that were offended by Pura Luka Vega's rock version of the "Ama namin (The Lord's Prayer)", which went viral online. According to complainants, Jesus Christ is the Lord and God not only of Catholics but the entire religion of Christianity which included born-again Christians and various denominations. "The drag performance of Pagente is not only terribly blasphemous, offensive, disrespectful, insulting, unacceptable and outrageous to the Christian religion and belief, it also causes a devalued and negative image of the Lord Jesus Christ which Christians hold in highest veneration," they added. The representative of Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) Party-list, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, a renowned Christian evangelist in the country, expressed full support to the move of the Christian organization. The drag artist was seen on a video portraying Jesus Christ on July 9, offending many Christian believers. "I understand that people call my performance blasphemous, offensive or regrettable. However, they shouldn’t tell me how I practice my faith or how I do my drag. That performance was not for you to begin with. It is my experience and my expression, of having been denied my rights," Vega posted on Twitter on July 23. PJM is a coalition of different Christian churches in the country including the Presbyterian Church of the Philippines, Capitol City Foursquare Church, Jesus Is Lord Church, Intercessors Federation of the Philippines, and other small-to-medium local-based churches in the country and abroad. Its member churches have around 7,000 congregations/chapters across the country and abroad with an estimated 5 million in membership.

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