Ex-beauty queen sa indecent proposal: Meron na sana akong jaguar o mansion

“UNFAIR!” Ito ang sigaw ni former Miss Universe Philippines MJ Lastimosa tungkol sa pasabog ng ilang dating beauty queens sa documentary na “Under Cover Asia: Cost of the Crown.”

Ayon kay MJ, hindi tamang i-generalize ang pageant industry sa isyu ng mga indecent proposal at iba pang uri ng sexual harassment sa mga kandidata.

Sa isang panayam na in-organize ng The Philippine Pageantry, sinabi ng dating beauty queen na, “Yes, maybe there’s the reality of those… but the things that they were saying kasi is based on their own experience.

“I felt like, it was also unfair for all the Filipino women who are competing who are lucky to have a group of people who are protecting them.

“Kasi parang na-generalize. For them to just discredit the whole Philippine pageantry, saying that there’s a bad side in every pageant is not fair,” paliwanag ni MJ.

Ilang netizens din daw ang nagtanong sa kanya kung nakatanggap din ba siya ng indecent proposals at kung may tinanggap ba siya rito? “Ha? I would have had a Jaguar or a mansion! I never experienced that. I’m very lucky.”

Maayos daw ang naging journey niya noong maging Miss Universe Philippines 2014, “I was traveling all around the Philippines with a lady guard who sleeps with me even inside my room to protect me.”

Hindi rin daw siya pinabayaan noon ng Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) sa pangunguna ni chairwoman Stella Marquez-Araneta.

“Talagang pinoprotektahan niya kami, talagang walang pwedeng basta-bastang makakalapit sa amin. Even our mentors had a hard time with that, kasi kahit sila mismo nahihirapan lumapit sa amin,” lahad pa niya.

Depensa pa niya sa pageant industry, “There are still a lot of people who are doing this out of passion, out of love.

“We are doing this because being in the pageant is our dream, it’s our moms’ dream or just a dream of the special people around us.

“And for some people to discredit the hard work that we’re putting in this, is unfair.”

Mensahe niya sa lahat ng mga babaeng nangangarap ding magkaroon ng titulo at korona balang araw, “I am sad for all the women na naka-experience ng mga indecent proposal while they’re competing. I feel sorry that they’re being exploited in their own experiences.

“I just hope na makahanap sila ng training camps or people who will protect them while competing kasi it’s very important.

“You can’t do it alone, you can’t protect yourself alone, and you can’t control the mindset of the people around you,” dagdag pa ni MJ.