Former beauty queen Bea Santiago exposed harassment she experienced
Crowned Miss International 2013 Bea Santiago exposed the harassment she experienced from a priest when she was a child.
Following the controversy in Miss Earth 2018 pageant, there were more beauty queens who have been outspoken about the harassment issue.
Previously, Miss World Philippines 2018 Katarina Rodriguez said the bravery of a woman to speak up should be commended.
Aside from her, Binibining Pilipinas International 2017 Mariel De Leon also expressed her thoughts about the harassment in pageants. She said that the issue is really happening and it should be addressed.
Another former beauty queen related her own story about harassment.
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Bea Santiago bravely exposed that she was molested by a priest when she was just a child. She pointed out that harassment is not just happening in beauty pageants but it can also happen anywhere.
That drastic event in her life was repeated when she was 12 years old. A guy who won from a pageant said to her “why are you born too late! or sus sayang ka Bea, kong napanganak ka lang mas maaga”.
When she was already an adult, Bea shared that a famous businessman “inappropriately touched” her.
The following incident they met was when she was joining a pageant and the said businessman was still talking nonsense.
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There was also a time when she was working and she posed with a middle aged man who “managed to accidentally swing his hand touching her behind”.
Aside from her own experience, Bea Santiago also shared what her fellow beauty queen went through.
“It happens. No matter how careful you are. No matter how Big/ popular/ old/ “religious” a person is, HE CAN STILL BE A PERVERT,” she stressed out.
Bea said that she used to be afraid of speaking up and she regretted that she has not done anything about it.
However, she is optimistic that what she exposed will help the future beauty queens.
