Mc Richard Paglicawan
Despite facing resistance from various local government units and an ongoing lawsuit for his controversial portrayal of Jesus Christ, Pura Luka Vega boldly presented a performance with a “persona non grata” theme at an undisclosed location.
A video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by user @femcelgender recently showcased Pura Luka Vega, also known as Amadeus Fernando Pagente.
They performed a lip-sync rendition of Taylor Swift’s chart-topping song ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ while holding a framed photo of themselves dressed as the Black Nazarene.
The caption accompanying the video boldly stated, “OKAY PERSONA NON GRATA TOUR!!!”
OKAY PERSONA NON GRATA TOUR!!! pic.twitter.com/gMwIMj2wjI
— femcel monkeyposting (@femcelgender) August 20, 2023
In another post by user @kallandian, Pura Luka was captured performing the same song while holding a bottle of vodka, cheered on by an enthusiastic audience.
In the video, the drag artist addressed the persona non grata designation while citing a biblical verse.
The Persona Non Grata tour, purr! 💅
@ama_survivah https://t.co/KdbK2FjdVY pic.twitter.com/vw9SONmjQQ
— Jordan 🌻🎬🍉 (@kallandian) August 21, 2023
Pura Luka Vega conveyed, “Ito lang masasabi ko — simplehan lang natin ha — lahat tayo makasalanan. Hindi tayo perpekto. Gayunpaman, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Okay? Do not do to others what you do not want others to do unto you. Golden rule lang po ‘yun.”
“Para sa mga ibang lugar na gustong mag-persona non grata diyan, dagdagan niyo pa! Pakealam ko. Separation ng church at ng state [dapat]. ‘Yun lang po. Thank you po!” they continued.
Pura Luka Vega also shared posts featuring their “persona non grata” themed performances on their Instagram Stories.
This performance by Pura Luka followed the decision of several localities to label them persona non grata due to alleged blasphemous depictions of Jesus Christ and the perceived “desecration” of ‘Ama Namin'(The Lord’s Prayer) during their shows.
Among the localities that have officially declared Pura Luka Vega persona non grata are Cebu City, Floridablanca in Pampanga, General Santos City, Toboso in Negros Occidental, Bukidnon, Dinagat Islands, the City of Manila, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, and Occidental Mindoro.
Additionally, the performer is currently facing criminal charges filed by Christian churches under the Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM). These charges cite a supposed violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Earlier this month, Pura Luka Vega addressed the situation on their X page, expressing their willingness to engage in dialogue. They also expressed disappointment at being declared persona non grata “without even knowing me or understanding the intent of the performance.”
