THE Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 184 has acquitted drag artist Amadeus Fernando Pagente, popularly known as Pura Luka Vega, of cybercrime charges after the prosecution failed to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
In a 20-page decision issued by Presiding Judge Czarina Samonte-Villanueva, the court cleared Pagente of charges filed under Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, specifically provisions related to the Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175), due to insufficiency of evidence.
The charges stemmed from a complaint filed by the Kapisanan ng mga Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas Inc. (KSMBPI) after Pagente posted several videos on his TikTok account, including his controversial “Ama Namin” performance and a separate video where he danced holding a sacred host while wearing a Black Nazarene-inspired costume.
In her ruling, Judge Samonte-Villanueva stated, “for failure of the prosecution to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt, Amadeus Fernando Pagente, also known as Pura Luka Vega, is hereby acquitted…”
Following the verdict, Pagente released a statement through his social media, expressing gratitude to his supporters and dedicating the legal victory to the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Sa kabila nito, gusto rin po naming iparating na ang aming sining at ekspresyon ay ang esensya ng demokrasya at kalayaan magpahayag,” Pagente said.
