The Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. headed by Stella Marquez de Araneta is having rifts with past winners of the Binibining Pilipinas Beauty Pageant. Some past winners of the said beauty pageant were not invited at the recently concluded Binibining Pilipinas coronation night last March 7, 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Binibining Pilipinas 1982 Maria Isabel Lopez felt violated when she did not receive any invitation and complimentary ticket for the 2009 coronation night.
“Normally, in the past four years, I’ve been coming to Bb. Pilipinas lagi akong may complimentary tickets. It was only this year 2009 pageant nasingle out ako na hindi ako nabigyan ng invitation, hindi ako nabigyan ng ticket,” she said in an interview with SNN Reporter Cesca Litton.
Since she didn’t receive any ticket, fellow beauty queens gave her a ticket instead. When already seated at the section allotted for past Bb. Pilipinas winners, an usher approached her looking for her ticket. She was asked to transfer seats after. The 1982 Bb. Pilipinas titleholder also said that Myrna Borromeo, adviser of Stella Marquez de Araneta dissed her.
“Stella Marquez-Araneta and the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc., you can stop me from attending Bb. Pilipinas pageant at the Big Dome. But, you cannot stop the fact that I was your Bb. Pilipinas Universe 1982,” Lopez said while showing her Binibining Pilipinas sash and trophy.
Meanwhile, Sandra Seifert was disqualified from the 2009 Binibining Pilipinas pageant for posing on a men’s magazine. She was only disqualified three days before the coronation night.
Bb. Pilipinas World 2007 Maggie Wilson was among the past winners of Bb. Pilipinas who were not invited for the 2009 Binibining Pilipinas pageant.
“Matagal ko nang naririnig na parang there’s an issue daw na I am banned from Araneta and there are other beauty queens as well who are banned from Araneta,” Wilson said.
On the other hand, 2005 Binibining Pilipinas-International and Miss International 2005 Precious Lara Quigaman felt bad after knowing that she was not acknowledged as one of the international titleholders in one of the tribute video shown on the 2009 coronation night. She also didn’t receive any invitation for the 2009 coronation night.
“I didn’t know na wala palang tribute for me. Mayroong tribute for the other international winners and kinukwento nga ng mga friends ko na nanonood na wala daw for me. And I was like, bakit wala? Siguro nakalimutan. Pero, syempre may kaunting tampo. Kasi diba, pinaghirapan ko ‘yon. It would have been nice na medyo marecognize ka for that,” Quigaman said.
With the controversies that the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. is currently facing, the management is yet to issue a statement.
