Gwen may sue organizers, others for bikini show

"Patay sila ani maayu pa sugbutri ato event which is a cause oriented event!!!"

CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday threatened to file charges against the promoter, sponsors and business
establishment for staging a bikini show at a resort in Bantayan Island, Cebu last Good Friday and Black Saturday.

Also, Garcia said she will compel Sta. Fe town officials and police authorities tasked to implement the order to explain why they should not be implicated in the filing of cases for alleged violation of the Women Development Code of Cebu and an executive order.

This as Garcia was informed that guest performers, who included sexy actresses Maui Taylor and Jennifer Lee, were wearing skimpy attire when they emerged on stage an hour before midnight during a supposed fashion show dubbed as “Summer Pump” at Rommel Beach Resort in Sta. Fe town, Bantayan.

Garcia immediately ordered Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla to secure a copy of video footage from GMA 7’s Balitang Bisdak that reportedly took shots of the event.

“If the executive order had been violated, I will file the proper charges against the promoter, sponsors and owner of the resort. I shall be requesting the local officials of Sta. Fe as well as the police assigned (to Sta. Fe) to show cause why they should not be included in the filing of charges,” Garcia told a press conference.

Sought for comment, Councilor Roger Ilustri-simo, husband of Mayor Jennifer Ilustrisimo, told Sun. Star Cebu that the show was not obscene. He explained that the performers wore “shorts” and not just underwear.

Since they have not yet received the executive order of Garcia, he said that they will ask for “specific guidelines” from the Provincial Capitol about the proper suits for the show’s participants.

Councilor Ilustrisimo said they will find time to call Governor Garcia and explain their side, adding that they are also ready to face any investigation.

The governor signed last April 7 an executive order strictly prohibiting bikini contests in the Province.

Garcia also directed all municipal mayors to strictly observe and implement the provision of the Women Development Code of Cebu.

Chapter III, Article I, Section 5 of the Code which states that “beauty contests which tend to commodify, abuse, humiliate and treat women as sex objects shall be strictly prohibited in schools, communities and barangays.”

The governor warned that appropriate charges will be filed against those find violating the code.

More than 20 priests from various parishes in Cebu have sought help from Garcia and the Cebu Provincial Board to ban bikini shows, particularly on Bantayan during Holy Week.

Organizers of bikini shows in Bantayan Island, Cebu have voiced concern over strict prohibition of such events, saying that their sponsors might sue them for breach of contract.

Elton Tiu, one of the shows’ organizers on the island, met with Garcia last week and relayed to the latter that sponsors of bikini shows threatened to sue them if they could not able to pursue the events.

The local police in Sta. Fe reportedly denied there was a bikini show.

Yesterday, Governor Garcia said he called up Cebu Police Provincial Director Carmelo Valmoria and requested the latter for a “full explanation” of police chief and the police authorities assigned to Sta. Fe during Black Saturday.

She announced that she will call all police chiefs of Cebu in a meeting to reiterate to them about the standing prohibition of bikini shows.

Garcia said she was surprised after learning of the incident in which the television had able to get footage.

The governor said she would not hesitate to sue individuals involved in the shows if proven they violated the executive order and the women’s code.

Garcia said she would take up the challenge of Cebu Archbishop Cardinal Vidal to permanently ban bikini shows in Cebu.

“I will fight for this cause (total banning of bikini shows). For those who continue to defile Cebu with your obscenity,
burglarity and lewdness, I will be your worst enemy,” said Garcia.

“You better run for cover literally and figuratively.”

For his part, Martin-quilla said he will first look into the footage of GMA 7 and possible other witnesses before deciding to file charges against people involved in the controversy.

“We exert effort to secure witness. We exhort all persons offended by these shows to come up with the open and report to the governor what really happened,” said Martinquilla.

Under the code, violators may suffer one year imprisonment or fine of P5, 000, or both on court’s discretion.

Garcia also lauded the media whom she said “at better monitoring than our police and local officials.”

Apart from such incident in Sta. Fe, no other similar incident was recorded occurred in other towns of Cebu.