I MUST ADMIT that I can’t help but laugh when I saw the video of Pura Luka Vega, the drag queen who earned the ire of some senators and several devout Catholics who seem to be hell-bent in crucifying him for his performance that they view as “blasphemous, offensive and disrespectful.”
Vega’s video went viral online as it showed the drag queen performing the rock version of “Ama Namin” and wearing an outfit to appear to be like what the Catholics imagine to be an image of Jesus Christ.
Although I grew up in a Catholic atmosphere, as a young boy I had already questioned the authenticity of Jesus Christ’s image, arguing that there was no “kodak” (camera) during his time.
I was in high school when I read on our school bulletin board the Ten Commandments supposedly handed down by God to the prophet Moses.
The Second Commandment really struck me: “Thou shalt not worship any graven images.”
Later, I learned the more elaborate Second Commandment of the Christian God: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8).
However, the Catholic Church came up with a different version of the Second Commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”
Needless to say, unlike the Muslims’ holy book Qur’an, the Christian Bible has so many versions and different interpretations.
Now back to Vega’s “kalokohan.”
The self-proclaimed queer person claims that his dressing up as Jesus Christ is like “art therapy.”
He argued that his performance was just like what some Catholics are doing during the Holy Week, dressing up as Jesus Christ in doing penitential acts.
I have to clarify that the reason why I laughed upon seeing Vega’s video was that I saw him “over-acting”.
I was amused.
But on second thought, I agree with Senate President Migz Zubiri that Vega can be criminally charged for the performance under Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code which punishes those 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.”
Yes, Amadeus, freedom of expression is not always absolute.
Pura Luka Vega’s real name is Amadeus Fernando Pagente.
I can’t help but recall the ending scene of the 1973 Dirty Harry movie, Magnum Force when Harry Callahan (played by Clint Eastwood) has just dispatched Briggs, the last bad guy.
Dirty Harry says: “A man’s got to know his limitations.”
(ai/mnm)
