No summons yet from Manila fiscal for drag queen

MANILA, Philippines — Drag queen Pura Luka Vega said he did not receive a summons from the Manila city prosecutor related to a criminal complaint filed against him by religious groups.

“I am still not in receipt of any notice regarding an alleged criminal case filed in Manila against me,” Vega posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sept. 15.

“(I am) looking forward to having a dialogue with the complainants,” he noted.

Hijos del Nazareno-Central, a group of Black Nazarene devotees, filed a case against the drag queen last month over a performance in July, when Vega dressed up as Jesus Christ and danced to a punk rock version of the Catholic hymn “Ama Namin.”

The Philippines for Jesus Movement, a group of Protestants, had also filed a case before a Quezon City court against Vega for violating Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes “immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions and indecent shows.”

During the Sept. 15 hearing in which Vega was a no-show, Hijos del Nazareno-Central president Val Samia said they were willing to forgive Vega and drop the complaint if Vega would acknowledge his alleged mistake.