Dalawa pang kandidata ng Miss Earth 2018 ang lumantad dahil diumano sa naranasan nilang sexual harassment mula sa isa sa mga sponsor ng international beauty pageant.
Una nang naglahad ng kanyang karanasan si Miss Earth Canada Jaime VandenBerg sa pamamagitan ng isang mahabang Instagram post.
Ginanap ang grand coronation night ng Miss Earth 2018 sa Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City, noong Sabado, November 3.
MISS EARTH GUAM
Sa Instagram din idinaan nina Miss Earth Guam Emma Sheedy at Miss Earth England Abbey-Anne Gyles-Brown ang naranasan nilang sexual harassment mula sa isang sponsor.
Ayon kay Miss Guam, bago ang Miss Earth ay limang beses na siyang nakabisita sa Pilipinas.
Excited daw siyang bumalik sa ika-anim na pagkakataon para sa pageant.
Pahayag ni Miss Guam sa kanyang Instagram post ngayong November 8, “The hospitality of the Filipinos is not found anywhere else. The Philippines is like a second home to me.
“I enjoyed a majority of the pageant, but what I did not know, is that a specific sponsor from the Manila Yacht Club would change the way I see pageantry and sponsors.”
Direkta ring pinangalanan ni Miss Guam ang pageant sponsor na diumano’y inirereklamo rin ng iba pang kandidata.
“The sponsor who’s name is Amado S. Cruz became a problem for many of the delegates, including myself,” pagbubunyag niya.
Idinetalye ng pageant contestant ang harassment na naranasan niya umano sa kamay ni Cruz.
“To focus on ONLY myself, I was pulled aside multiple times to be invited to Boracay, private islands and into his house and insisted that I and ‘the latino women dance for him.’
"Amado S. Cruz grabbed my bare backside at the National Costume Competition where I was able to push him away, but he consistently told me not to tell anyone about any of the instances.”
Ayon pa kay Miss Guam, sa isang venue ng pre-pageant activity ay tiniyak daw ng sponsor na nakahiwalay ang mga kandidata mula sa kanilang team managers at security personnel.
Hindi raw naging kumportable si Miss Guam at iba pang mga kandidata, kaya hiniling nila sa team managers na umalis na sa venue at dalhin sila sa bus.
Dagdag ni Miss Guam, noong gabi ring iyon ay nakipag-usap sina Miss Canada at Miss England kay Lorraine Schuck, sa pamamagitan ng telepono, upang ilahad ang kanilang karanasan.
Si Lorraine ang executive vice president ng Carousel Productions, ang organizer ng Miss Earth.
Tiniyak daw ni Lorraine sa kanila na hindi na nila makikita ang inirereklamong sponsor sa mga susunod pang events.
Pero hindi raw ito nangyari.
Ayon kay Miss Guam, “From the moment the pageant started until coronation night, Amado S. Cruz was at every event and dinner he could physically get to.
“Since other delegates have posted, multiple other queens from past years have come out about the same behavior.
"I want to help put a stop to this sponsor being apart of the Miss Earth International Pageant because he has become a problem for years."
MISS EARTH ENGLAND
Gabi ng November 7, Miyerkules, nag-post din sa Instagram si Miss Earth England Abbey-Anne Gyles-Brown tungkol sa naranasang pangha-harass diumano sa kanya.
“It’s time to speak up about my personal experience,” bungad niya.
Binanggit ng kandidata na nagpursigi siya sa loob ng apat na taon para makapasok sa international pageant.
Aniya, “I was elated to finally represent England over in the beautiful Philippines.
"My trip was a rollercoaster of emotions, stress and endurance and I did not leave the pageant as I was not going to miss out on the experience.
“I have many beautiful memories of my time here in the Philippines and many wonderful day. I met happy Filipinos who showed me such kindness and respect.”
Hati raw ang pakiramdam ni Miss England sa naging karanasan niya sa pageant.
“I enjoyed 50% of my trip but the other 50% was over shadowed by feeling exploited, vulnerable, unnerved & sexually harassed as I was approached by a sponsor on many occasions who asked for sexual favours in exchange for the Crown.”
Ayon kay Miss England, nangyari raw ang pangha-harass sa kanya sa Manila Yacht Club.
Isang sponsor umano ang gustong malaman kung saang hotel siya tumutuloy, pati na ang kanyang room number.
Inireklamo raw nina Miss England at Miss Canada ang pangha-harass sa kanila, pero pinagtawanan lang daw sila ng mga ito.
Pahayag ni Gyles-Brown, “There was no respect or compassion shown to myself or Jaimie.
“I felt traumatised by this experience and had many sleepless nights. I was not sure who had my personal details including my mob number and hotel room.”
Ayon pa kay Miss England, hindi lang sila ni Miss Canada ang nakaranas ng pangha-harass.
Naniniwala siyang magsasalita rin ang ibang kandidata na nagkaroon ng parehong karanasan.
Sinuportahan din ni Miss England ang mga pahayag nina Miss Guam at Miss Canada na hindi umano tinupad ni Lorraine ang sinabi nitong hindi na makikita ang inireklamo nilang sponsor sa mga susunod na event ng Miss Earth.
“I approached Lorraine Schuck who is the Vice President Of Miss Earth she informed me that the sponsor would be removed from all contact with contestants but this did not happen
“This is one of many incidents we faced during our Miss Earth Journey! The said sponsor in fact show up at a prelim event and also attended the Coronation night,” saad ni Miss England.
PAGEANT ORGANIZER REFUTES MISS CANADA’S CLAIM
Sa ulat ng GMA News, itinanggi ni Lorraine ang mga akusasyon ni Miss Canada, gaya ng hindi umano pagbibigay agad ng passport nito.
Hindi tinapos ni Miss Canada ang pageant dahil sa pangamba sa kanyang kaligtasan matapos ang diumano’y naranasang harassment.
Ayon kay Lorraine, dating beauty queen at aktres, hindi umano agad sinabi sa kanya ni Miss Canada ang pangha-harass na naranasan nito.
Samantala, sa isa pang interview kay Lorraine na na-post sa social media, sinabi nitong mali lahat ng sinabi ni Miss Canada sa kanyang kontrobersiyal na Instagram post.
“Si Canada yung pinost niya, lahat yun mali,” sabi ni Lorraine sa video na kuha ni @arvincabachete at naka-post sa @titasofpageantry sa Instagram.
“Kasi hindi siya pumunta sa office ko at hindi ko pa siya nakikita in person.
"I talked to her on the phone when I found out about that problem at in-address namin yung problem na yun right away.
“Kung sino yung kinomplain niya hindi na niya nakikita, pero siyempre sometimes pag medyo nasa publiko ang mga babae, mahirap kontrolin, e.
“Iba kasi ang Miss Earth…. Kailangan nasa tao kami, di ba, yung environment activities, or makipagkuwentuhan sa tingin mong puwedeng tumulong.
“Pero minsan, merong mga uncontrollable incidents, na mga maldito,” sabi ng pageant organizer.
Magpapadala sana ng mensahe ang PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) kay Amado Cruz, via Facebook, upang hingan ng pahayag hinggil sa mga akusasyon laban sa kanya ng mga kandidata ng Miss Earth.
Ngunit tila deactivated na ang FB account nito.
Mananatiling bukas ang PEP.ph sa lahat ng sangkot sa isyung ito.