Pura Luka Vega gets legal victory over controversial performance
• A Quezon City court has dismissed three criminal cases against drag artist Pura Luka Vega
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• The court granted the defense's demurrer to evidence, citing insufficient proof from the prosecution
• The dismissal was based on two main issues: the failure to authenticate a key video evidence and the complainants' lack of legal standing to file the case
• Pura Luka Vega is still facing other legal challenges in different cities related to the same controversial performance
In a significant legal development, a Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has dismissed three criminal cases filed against drag artist Amadeus Fernando Pagente, more widely known by their stage name, Pura Luka Vega.
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The decision is a major win for the artist, who has been facing multiple legal battles stemming from a controversial drag performance.
The Quezon City RTC Branch 306, in a 25-page joint resolution dated September 19, granted the drag artist’s demurrer to evidence motion and junked the three counts of violating Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
A demurrer to evidence is a legal remedy where a defendant argues that the prosecution's evidence is insufficient to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court cited two main reasons for its decision. First, the prosecution failed to properly authenticate the video that served as the primary evidence of the performance.
This meant the video could not be admitted into evidence to prove the allegations. Second, the court found that the three private complainants—members of the religious group Hijos Del Nazareno—did not have the legal standing to file the criminal cases.
This is because criminal cases under Article 201 must be prosecuted by the state, not by private individuals.
The court ruled that since the prosecution's evidence was not sufficient to prove the defendant's guilt, there was no longer any reason for the trial to continue.
The cases stemmed from a viral drag performance by Pura Luka Vega in July, where they performed a rock version of the "Ama Namin" (The Lord’s Prayer) while dressed in a Christ-like costume.
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The performance drew widespread condemnation from various religious groups, including the complainants, who argued that it constituted an "attack on our Lord, our God and savior, Jesus Christ."
In a previous interview, Pura Luka Vega explained that their performance was an attempt to "embody a version of Christ that is one with the qu3er audience."
The drag artist is also facing other legal challenges in different cities, including a similar case in Manila.
The court’s decision has been hailed by human rights advocates and LGBTQ+ groups as a victory for freedom of expression and artistic rights.
It also highlights the complexities of prosecuting cases related to blasphemy and offense to religious feelings in the country, especially when a lack of proper legal standing and evidence can be a fatal flaw for the prosecution.
Pura Luka Vega is a Pinoy drag artist who saw herself skyrocket to national fame after her performance of the remixed version of the religious hymn, “Ama Namin,” spread widely on social media. Pura Luka, whose real name is Amadeus Fernando Pagente, said she allegedly got her drag name from a combination of names that include that of beauty queen Pura Villanueva Kalaw and singer Suzanne Vega who sang the song “Luka,” which in Tagalog word also means crazy, thus, “Pura Luka Vega.”
Last June, the drag performer was also acquitted in the case filed against them regarding their controversial "Ama Namin" drag performance. In a decision released on June 10, 2025, the judge stated that while the performance might be offensive or disrespectful to some, it cannot be considered a violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code and Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act. One of the defense witnesses was a University of the Philippines professor who testified that art has no limitations. According to Pagente, the purpose of their performance was to show how Jesus could embrace the LGBTQIA+ community, and the court noted that it was not seen as obscene but rather as part of the exaggerated movements in a drag show with an artistic purpose.
It can be recalled that the famous drag artist who hugged the headlines after her controversial performance of ‘Ama Namin’, found herself in handcuffs once more after a court ordered her arrest. After her controversial performance of ‘Ama Namin’, various religious groups filed a series of complaints against her in court. The drag artist was also handcuffed and detained for a couple of days in prison last year after she was also ordered arrested after the court found probable cause to issue a warrant for Pura Luka’s arrest. In a recent news report by GMA News, a Quezon City court once again ordered the drag artist arrested “for three counts of the same crime.”
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Source: KAMI.com.gh
