Mc Richard Paglicawan
Pura Luka Vega, the drag artist known for their controversial ‘Ama Namin’ performance, has raised questions about the fairness of their swift arrest, citing a lack of proper notification regarding the criminal complaint against them.
During an interview with News5, Vega, also known as Amadeus Fernando Pagente, shared their thoughts on the sudden arrest, which occurred at their residence in Sta. Cruz on October 4th. This arrest followed their failure to appear for preliminary investigations related to their case in Manila.
Vega expressed, “It was a bit quick. My side of the story or the motion, hindi naman ako nabigyan ng enough time to submit the documents we’ve been wanting to submit.”
They further elaborated, “We didn’t receive the subpoena.” Vega clarified that they immediately visited Manila City Hall after media coverage of the incident to assert that they had not received the subpoena, and it was not addressed to their current address. They were unsure if this fact had been considered.
While Vega acknowledged feeling that the situation was unfair, they emphasized that they had already received an arrest warrant. “It was a bit of a surprise,” they added.
The Manila Police District executed the arrest in connection with a criminal case filed by a religious group in response to Vega’s viral performance. During the performance, Vega sang a remix of ‘Ama Namin’ to an enthusiastic crowd at a bar.
Vega faces charges under Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, which includes allegations of immoral doctrine, obscene publications, and indecent shows. The bail has been set at P72,000.
Despite their arrest, Vega continues to assert that their intention was never to mock anyone.
They stated, “I also would not like to invalidate their feelings. If they feel hurt or they feel offended, it’s their right to feel such.”
In addition to the case in Manila, Vega acknowledged facing other criminal complaints in Quezon City related to the same issue.
“I’ve been trying to deal with all of the cases that were charged against me and so far, I did face all of the charges, went to the courts for the three cases that were filed [against] me in Manila and QC,” Vega noted.
