Various women’s groups in the Philippines called on the organizing committee of Miss Universe not to hold the pageant in Manila next year 2017.
On Monday, the leaders of various women’s groups released a letter sent to the organizing committee asking that it reconsider holding the pageant in the Philippines in January.
The petitioners include prominent figures in the Philippines such as Miss International 1970 titleholder Aurora Pijuan, former Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Etta Rosales, former presidential peace adviser Ging Deles, Black and White Movement convenor Leah Navarro, and prominent Fil-Am community leader Loida Nicholas Lewis.
According to the petitioners, to hold the pageant in Manila next year would serve as a “reward” to what they believe was the “objectionable, scandalous, and demeaning sexist attitude demonstrated by the newly elected leaders of our country, by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte, and his cohorts towards womankind.”
The copy of the petition was posted on the Facebook page of Annie Serrano, had the accompanying hashtag “#everywoman”, which was used by netizens supportive of Senator Leila De Lima who is the subject of the controversy on illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.
On their letter, the petitioners noted that in recent months, “chauvinism, brutal shaming, rape jokes and a sweeping disregard for women as persons deserving not merely of a token, but true, respect has been exhibited by the President of the Philippines with his salacious and sexist comments and treatment of female reporters and opposition figures, which has carried over to his allies in the Philippine Congress.”
“To hold the Miss Universe Pageant in the Philippines at this time would serve as a reward of this intolerable behavior and excuse such behavior. It would reinforce a troubling trend in our society,” the petitioners added.
“Do not hold Miss Universe in the Philippines. Be a partner for the liberation and not the subjugation of women. Take your pageant elsewhere and do not reward a regime that is trying to turn back the clock as far as women’s causes are concerned.”
The petition was sent by the group as Duterte government pursues its controversial war on drugs, where thousands have already died on the police operations.