Several Senators condemned the viral video of drag queen Pura Luka Vega wherein she was dressed as the Black Nazarene and used the upbeat and remixed "Ama Namin" in a club performance.
Pura, a former contestant in the reality competition series DragDen, personally uploaded the video on her social media accounts and captioned "Thank you for coming to church!".
Many religious people took offense to the video, stressing that the "Holy mass is not a costume party" and that "Prayer is not entertainment."
But some defended the performance as they stated that "drag is art", and art meant freedom of expression.
Thank you for coming to church! 🙏 https://t.co/aCw7fap3fH pic.twitter.com/nUKWV1M7PW
— Pura Luka Vega 🙃 (@ama_survivah) July 9, 2023
In a statement, Senator Miguel 'Migz' Zubiri, a proclaimed devout Catholic, said the "extremely blasphemous and offensive video" is a mockery of the Christian faith and disrespects The Lord's prayer.
"In my opinion, this is the height of the misuse and abuse of freedom of expression that borders on criminal activity," adding that this reaches the boundaries of protected speech and expression," he said.
Zubiri urged authorities to probe the matter as he cited that Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) stated that anyone who "offend any race or religion in the performance of obscene or indecent plays, scenes, acts, or shows in theaters, fairs, or any other place" may face a criminal charge.
He said they are now tracing the venue where the performance was held, and studying possible violations of law.
Meanwhile, Senator JV Ejercito also regarded the viral video as "blasphemy" or disrespect to religion.
"This disrespects my faith. This went overboard," he said in a Twitter post.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, a staunch supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community, said she wishes for "self-reflection, compassion, and healing for both the religious and LGBTQIA+ communities."
"As a woman of faith, I admit I personally find this regrettable. Alam ko madami ding miyembro ng LGBTQIA+ community, persons of faith among them, find this regrettable," she said in a statement.
But Hontiveros noted that this incident should not be used against the LGTBQIA+ to deny their "rights and protection that has long been marginalized and excluded."
"The struggle for SOGIE Equality continues," she added.
