The state has ceased to concern itself with the endeavors of serving the people. Securing power over social matters is at the forefront of its priorities, feigning to act in the best interest of the populace. In an effort to maintain its ideas and rules, the state has put up measures to preserve its power over society.

Drag queen Pura Luka Vega was declared persona non grata in 16 localities, and currently faces lawsuits filed by the Philippines for Jesus Movement for their lipsync performance of the church song “Ama Namin” in August. Despite the Filipino drag community’s support for Vega, the continued harassment hampers their job prospects and financial stability.

Such cases of declaring someone persona non grata raise questions on authority and who gets to decide what is right and wrong. In an ideal society, people would have the reins of judgment. Time and time again, however, the masses have been confronted with deathly fangs of suppression, yet nothing proves to be as potent as the vehemence of their collective power.

Pride 

The earliest case of persona non grata was declared by the Manila city council against Primetime Emmy awardee actress Claire Danes in 1998. This was due to the racist remarks Danes made about the Philippines after her film “Brokedown Palace” capitalized on Manila’s formerly dilapidated landscapes.

The city council, in acquiescence with the Filipino community’s consensus, banned the starlet from the country by granting her the award of persona non grata. The Latin term “persona non grata” translates to “unwelcome person.” Often considered a mere sentiment within communities, declarations of persona non grata are nonbinding, as stated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Despite being nonbinding, such sentiment from the community carries weight on how its members perceive cultural slights. Recently, Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian was declared persona non grata by a Palawan town after Xilian justified China’s hostility against Filipino fisherfolk residing near the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The livelihood and safety of residents near coastal areas have long been jeopardized by China’s persistent incursions in WPS.

An act committed against communities’ beliefs and practices may also be a basis for declaring someone persona non grata. Comedian Candy Pangilinan proved guilty of this in 2009 when she hurled discriminatory comments about the Igorot community in Cordillera. Yet too often, the state wields more power than its citizens, and when nonbinding declarations like persona non grata end up in the wrong hands, they become weapons for suppression.

This was proven when former Manila Mayor Francisco Moreno Domagoso declared artist group Panday Sining persona non grata for painting “Presyo Ibaba, Sahod Itaas!” on the walls of United Nations Avenue in 2019. As social advocates unveiled societal issues, the state decided that such expression of dissent was viler than the system that exploits its workers. 

In its current state, the problem with state-powered functions is that the authorities dictate what is correct only according to their belief. 

Prejudice

The state's unwavering pursuit of power effectively enables the abuse of its dominance to subjugate its constituents. Such order is in line with Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony in “Prison Notebooks” which refers to the cultural and ideological control exerted by dominant groups over society. Likewise, persona non grata becomes a tool for public conditioning.

For instance, drag queen Pura Luka Vega has been incessantly chastised following her performance of impersonating Jesus Christ lip-syncing to the remixed version of “Ama Namin.” With the state spearheading the denigration of Vega, they are now ostracized through public opinion.

Detractors on social media fallaciously cite Vega as a reason to block the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, or Sex Characteristics Equality Bill. Soon, Vega's case may become a catalyst to further deny queer folk their long-awaited rights as the 23-year-old bill remains in limbo, with senators historically finding excuses to block its passage.

The declaration of persona non grata is not only an attack on the individual but also on the community that one belongs to and the principles they uphold. Vega’s fellow drag sisters and the art of drag itself were under attack. Netizens used Vega’s issue as a mask to reinforce homophobic and harmful remarks that continue to damage the community as a whole. 

Conditioning the public to spout the same backward and conservative ideas is a machination employed by the state to maintain its power. Dominant state ideals that pervade the social foundations of the community will only deter Filipinos’ path to progress. This, however, can be countered with people's power and organized solidarity. As Gramsci suggests, unity is a part of a common program to transform society.

Persuasion

The significance of consensus among members on norms, values, and social institutions for effective societal functioning is emphasized in the consensus theory developed by Emile Durkheim, one of the founders of modern sociology. He theorized that collaborating with diverse segments of the public produces positive outcomes.

Instead of breeding power rivalry among their constituents, the state must recognize its ineffectiveness in mending resolutions, especially in indigent localities. Any conflict requires nuanced approaches and a clear sociopolitical lens that goes beyond merely labeling one unwelcome on a whim. 

Disrupting the status quo and advocating for liberating and more progressive ideals is not the “end of times” that the state conditions people to think. A vandalized wall is inconsequential when seen through a macro lens that so clearly displays the problems in the country. Turmoil fosters change, and such change is forwarded and achieved only by the collective will of the people.

Beyond recognizing the state’s apparatus in compelling the public to participate in a sadistic practice of isolating identities and radical ideas that go against the current scheme of things, it is imperative that people unite in fostering social solidarity and collective conscience. Maintaining a balance between individuality and collective identity, as Durkheim suggested, promotes consensus.

Strong in numbers, the people must insist on reclaiming the borrowed power the state willfully indulges in. Communities should use their regained collective power to weed out those who impede growth and sectoral development by perpetuating dangerous ideologies. And as the days ahead stretch before the nation, the country must shed its withered skin and emerge with mightier and more robust principles. ●