Senator Victor “JV” Ejercito (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator JV Ejercito on Thursday denounced once more the viral video of drag queen Pura Luka Vega, singing along to an upbeat rendition of ‘Ama Namin’ while dressed up as the Black Nazarene.
The lawmaker said faith should not be used for entertainment purposes.
It can be recalled Ejercito had already criticized Vega on Twitter, labelling the latter’s actions as “blasphemous.”
In a statement on Thursday, he said, “art is generally covered by the freedom of expression, [but] the extent of such freedom is limited by the exercise of other rights and freedoms.”
“In the case at hand, the said performance has stirred hostile feelings towards the Catholic faith,” Ejercito noted.
“Instead of prompting sober discussions on art and religion, the performance has nudged ad hominem attacks against Filipino Catholics,” he said regarding the drag queen’s performance.
CBCP on Thursday said, “dancing to the tune of a sacred and biblical prayer, with matching sacred costume to boot, is completely disrespectful.”
Amid this public uproar, drag queen Vega clarified she was not trying to “mock God” or “demean religion” through her act.
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