Church leaders file complaint against Pura Luka Vega for her ‘Ama Namin’ performance

Church leaders who are part of the Philippines for Jesus Movement filed a complaint against drag queen Pura Luka Vega over her viral Ama Namin performance.

In separate charges, PJM President Bishop Leo Alconga, Pastor Romie Suela, and Pastor Mars Rodriguez alleged that the artist violated Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, which imposes penalties upon "those who, in theaters, fairs cinematographs or any other place, shall exhibit indecent or immoral plays, scenes, acts or shows," including the ones that "offend any race or religion."

PJM also accused Vega of violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. 

This comes after Vega was seen performing a punk rock version of Ama Namin in a bar in early July. She posted the video on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption: "Thank you for coming to church!" It has been deleted from the social media platform.

Ama Namin is a song version of the Lord's Prayer, the central prayer of the Catholic church.

According to the complainants, the Ama Namin performance “is not only terribly blasphemous, offensive, disrespectful, insulting, unacceptable, and outrageous to the Christian religion and belief, it also causes a devalued and negative image of the Lord Jesus Christ, which Christians hold in the highest veneration."

Vega has yet to comment on the complaint filed against her. She, however, has been stressing that it's her way of "expressing" her faith.

"I understand the sentiments, and I think they’re valid but as an artist, the perception of my art is beyond my control. However, my intent is clear and does not mean to offend," she told PhilSTAR L!fe.

"It’s my way of expressing my faith, odd as it may seem. I deliberately chose Ama Namin for the message—a message of hope for the oppressed, particularly the LGBTQIA+ community," she added.