Pura Luka Vega, a former contestant of Drag Den Philippines, made a defiant return to the stage at Apotheka Manila on August 20, despite being declared persona non grata in 12 localities across the country.
The declarations were a response to Vega’s controversial performance of “Ama Namin” or “The Lord’s Prayer.” Vega’s stage comeback featured a rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do,” where she held a picture of herself, symbolically embracing a transformation.
During her performance, Vega addressed the controversy, acknowledging the universal propensity to make mistakes. In a speech, she stated, “I want to clarify that nobody is perfect and we are all sinners. For other places that still want me to declare persona non grata, you may do so. I don’t care about the separation of the Church and the State. That’s all. Thank you.”
Twitter users have since referred to this as Vega’s Reputation Era, lauding her bold stance in the face of widespread criticism. Previously, on August 10, Vega called for dialogue with her critics on Twitter, asserting that the persona non grata declarations were made without proper understanding of her art.