Nonbinary Filipino Drag Artist Pura Luka Vega Arrested

"Drag Den" star Pura Luka Vega was arrested after Christian groups filed complaints against them following their performance of a contemporary version of a Christian song based on the Lord's Prayer.

"MPD spokesperson Maj. Philipp Ines confirmed to CNN Philippines that the drag performer, whose real name is Amadeus Fernando Pagante, is currently being held at the Santa Cruz Police Station," CNN reported.

"A group of Black Nazarene devotees, Hijos del Nazareno-Central, filed a complaint against Vega before the Manila Prosecutors Office in August over a rock rendition of 'Ama Namin,' or the Lord's Prayer, which was denounced by many as 'blasphemous,'" the CNN article detailed, before adding: "Another religious group, Philippines for Jesus Movement, also sued the drag artist for the same reason and violations last July."

Rappler reported that the arrest took place "after their alleged absence from the preliminary investigations of their criminal case in Manila," but the drag artist said in a Sept. 13 tweet that "they never received a subpoena" for that case.

The tweet was "in response to a Philippine Star article claiming that the drag artist 'snubbed' their preliminary hearing in Manila," Rappler noted.

"And I was also in [Quezon City] for a separate complaint that was filed there," Vega stated in the tweet. "I have no intention of 'snubbing' these complaints."

Rod Singh, the showrunner for "Drag Den" – a Filipino reality show centered around drag that is not associated with the international versions of "RuPaul's Drag Race" – said that Vega's "lawyers will explore remedies 'including the quashal of the information filed against Luka, reopening of the preliminary investigation at the prosecutor level and challenging Article 201 (2)(b)(3) of the Revised Penal Code as unconstitutional."

"Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code provides the penalty for 'immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions and indecent shows,'" the CNN article explained.

"The drag artist was previously declared persona non grata in 11 localities for their 'Ama Namin' video, where they were recorded singing and dancing to a remixed version of the Christian song dressed as Jesus Christ," Rappler added.