Sa kulungan nagpalipas ng gabi ang drag artist na si Pura Luka Vega, Amadeus Fernando Pagente sa totoong buhay, matapos arestuhin sa mismong bahay niya sa Maynila nitong Miyerkules, October 4, 2023, sa bisa ng warrant of arrest.
Ito ay matapos niyang hindi sumipot sa preliminary investigations ng criminal complaint na isinampa laban sa kanya ng mga deboto ng Itim na Nazareno o Hijos del Nazareno Central.
Read: Drag artist Pura Luka Vega arrested for failure to attend preliminary investigations
Inihain ng grupong Hijos del Nazareno ang reklamong immoral doctrines, obscene publications, at exhibition and indecent shows laban kay Pura dahil sa kontrobersiyal niyang “Ama Namin" o "The Lord's Prayer" performance, kung saan nag-costume siyang mala-Poong Nazareno, sa isang bar noong July 10, 2023.
Read: "Drag art"? Pura Luka Vega draws flak for "offensive" act of "Ama Namin"
Matapos maaresto ay kaagad bumuhos ang suporta at pakikisimpatiya kay Pura ng ilang celebrities.
Sigaw nila: "#FreePuraLukaVega.”
Kabilang sa umalma at naglabas ng saloobin ang singer-songwriter na si Ice Seguerra.
Sa post niya sa Facebook, sinabi ni Ice na ang pag-aresto kay Pura ay nagpapakita ng hindi pantay na trato ng batas sa mga LGBTQIA+ member na kagaya nila.
Mababasa sa post ng trans man singer (published as is), “This only goes to show how archaic Philippine laws are.
“Madaling magsampa ng kaso sa isang taong naka “offend” ng religious beliefs nang karamihan but meanwhile, wala pa ring karapatan sa mata ng batas ang mga LGBTQIA persons na tinatanggalan ng trabaho, sinasaktan, pinapatay na most often than not, ay dahil din sa religion.”
Read: Pura Luka Vega appeals for donations for her legal battle
Pinuna rin ng singer ang grupong nagsampa ng kaso laban kay Pura.
Aniya, “Sa inyo, nung paniniwala ninyo ang tinamaan, grabe na kayo makaalma. Ang bilis niyong magsampa ng kaso.
“Kami, kabuhayan, karapatan, at dignidad ang inaalis ninyo sa amin pero ano, kibit-balikat lang at kailangan lang namin tanggapin at unawain?”
Nanawagan din si Ice sa mga mambabatas na gawing patas ang pagbibigay ng parusa at isabuhay ang sinumpaan nilang tungkulin na ang katarungan ay para sa lahat.
Mensahe niya: “To our lawmakers, saan na ang sinasabi ninyong separation of church and state?
“Saan yung sinasabi niyong kaya kayo nandiyan ay para gumawa ng mga batas na pangkalahatan?”
FRANKIE PANGILINAN, DANI BARRETTO: “DRAG IS NOT A CRIME.”
Maliban kay Ice, nagpaabot din ng suporta para kay Pura ang celebrity kids na sina Frankie Pangilinan at Dani Barretto.
Sa magkahiwalay nilang Instagram Stories, nanawagan ang dalawa na pakawalan si Pura dahil hindi matatawag na krimen ang kanyang ginawa.
Si Frankie ay anak nina Sharon Cuneta at former Senator Kiko Pangilinan.
Si Dani naman ay anak ni Marjorie Barretto sa dating karelasyong si Kier Legaspi.
NICA DEL ROSARIO
Dismayado rin ang singer-songwriter na si Nica del Rosario sa biglaang pag-aresto kay Pura ng Sta. Cruz Manila Police.
Read: Kim Atienza tells Pura Luka Vega her art is "deeply offensive to majority of Filipinos"
Sa kanyang tweet, sinabi ni Nica na may higit pang makasalanan kay Pura na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin pinapanagot ng batas.
Saad niya sa kanyang tweet. “If your religious beliefs were offended by Pura Luka Vega’s act, you’re well within your right to express outrage. If you think they crossed a line and it was too much, no one can and should stop you from saying so.
“But what’s also “too much”, is having them arrested and celebrating this fact, when there are literal murderers and plunderers, people who spit on human rights, running free in this country.”
MELA HABIJAN
Katulad ni Nica, ganito rin ang sentimyento ni Miss Trans Global 2020 Mela Habijan sa pagbibigay ng kaukulang parusa sa Pilipinas.
Ginawa pang halimbawa ni Mela ang umano’y pagtawag ng “stupid” ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa Diyos.
Giit niya, mas kabastus-batos at kalapastangan ito sa simbahang Katoliko ngunit bakit hindi sila gumawa ng hakbang para panagutin ang dating Presidente.
Mababasa sa kanyang tweet (published as is), “FILIPINOS AND OUR FRUSTRATING DUALITY: AN EDITORIAL
“In 2018, then-President Duterte called God stupid. His words: “Who is this stupid God? This son of a bitch is then really stupid,” Mr. Duterte said. “How can you rationalize a God? Do you believe?”
“This year, Pura Luka Vega dressed up as Jesus Christ while performing a rock version of “The Lord’s Prayer”.
“AS FAITH IS STRONGLY INGRAINED IN OUR CULTURE, CLEARLY BOTH ACTS OFFENDED THOSE WHO VALUE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD — FINDING DIGONG AND PURA LUKA DISRESPECTFUL! THUS, BOTH ACTS ARE VALIDLY OFFENSIVE!
“But one got arrested and the other got away with it! One has been considered an act against a Revised Penal Code, while the other was just a normal act because that’s his nature.
“One was tagged a grave insult to faith, while the other was called brave. One was tagged a declared persona-non-grata, while the other remains to be a strong political dynasty.
“I ask: isn’t this selective justice? Where were these religious groups and devotees when Duterte was lambasting God, the Pope, the Church? Why didn’t they file a case against Digong in 2018?
“As a nation, aren’t we being inconsistent with the values we say we live by?
“In an ideal, fair, and equal world, regardless of the status in the society, former President Duterte and drag artist Pura should have faced similar consequences for their actions. Sadly, we are far from ideal, fair, and equal. We are still living in a double-standard society.”
Dagdag pa niya, “I bet if Jesus was alive, he would strongly question our sense of justice and morality!”
Samantala, bukod sa patung-patong na kaso ay may labindalawang LGUs na rin sa bansa ang nagdeklara kay Pura bilang persona non grata sa kani-kanilang lugar.
Ilan sa mga nauna nang nagdeklarang persona non grata sa drag artist ay ang lungsod ng Maynila, Dinagat Islands, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, at General Santos City sa South Cotabato, at munisipalidad sa Floridablanca, Pampanga; Toboso, Negros Occidental; Nueva Ecija; at Coron, Palawan.
Read: Declared persona non grata by 3 more LGUs Pura Luka Vega also faces another criminal suit