As a nation with a tarnished past of people abusing their power and leaving those marginalized to suffer and those privileged unbothered, we discard the real oppressors of our society. Therefore putting the wrong people in jail and letting impunity slip by.

Last July 2023, Filipinos were outraged when a viral video of a drag artist, Pura Luka Vega dressed up as the Black Nazarene was partying to a remixed version of Ama Namin. It was followed by tons of backlash and legal actions. And up until now, this flame of hate continues to burn. After being faced with multiple persona non grata in 17 localities, just this October 4, reports surfaced that Amadeus Fernando Pagente, Luka's legal name, was taken into police custody. Netizens were divided, religious groups rejoiced and supporters of PLV trended #DragIsNotACrime defended their actions and raised a donation fund for the P72,000 bail which was paid last October 7 and the controversial drag artist was released.

Double standards are present in this situation as many other comedians, artists, and even politicians made acts of disrespect towards the Lord and they did not receive the same amount of aggression PLV received. Like former president Rodrigo Duterte who cursed the Catholic faith on national TV and comedian Marlon Tapalord who exploits religious figures by dressing up and mimicking their acts. Nevertheless, a feeling of displeasure is valid since what they did was considered indecent for it's far from the practiced custom of Catholics. And according to Luka, they only wish to heal the exclusion they felt as a Catholic queer person, in which they explained it's their way of praise and worship with no offense intended.

Though this detestation is heavy and arrest is haste towards a drag artist, when it comes to those in the government or anyone with a public servant position who has a notoriety for crimes of corruption and human rights violation—it turns into a difficult battle. For instance, the on-and-off investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the past admin's War on Drugs human rights violation was brought up when the Marcos government requested its suspension last February and ICC later authorized resumption in July.

According to a 2022 PRIF research, impunity covers crimes from simple theft to murder and homicide. Less than 20% of conviction rates of criminal cases made it to court before the Duterte regime. Our justice system is weakened by corruption with an increased amount of disciplining cases to court officials and lawyers. Beside them are the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) which according to the GAN Integrity report from 2020, is one of the most corrupt institutions in the country. Due to their gained superiority when the president would grant them immunity from punishment.

As citizens, our key to seeking justice starts with proper awareness and avoiding disinformation. Throughout such crimes unpaid, it's critical to demand accountability from those involved whether they are public figures or not. With that, the establishment of effective regulatory boards to watch over acts of corruption among the higher court and law enforcement is useful to lessen bribery activities. Perhaps, electing competent leaders with clean records should also be considered for future elections.

After being released, Luka gave gratitude on the media platform, X, last October 9. This issue should highlight how huge the impact of our religious reactions can be. In this spectator sport of close-mindedness, it should be clear to us what is worth our voice and power.