On Tue, Mar 8, beauty pageant mentor Jonas Gaffud, who also mentored reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, slammed the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Incorporated (BPCI) after they disqualified Kim Ross delos Santos over a photo that the people behind the organization had deemed as racy or too provocative.
Gaffud is also Delos Santos’ mentor.
In a series of posts Gaffud stated, “While I am happy that Grace Poe is qualified to run, I am very disappointed with the lawyers of BPCI for disqualifying Kim Ross delos Santos just for posing for a sexy fashion test shoot. Last year they did not disqualify someone who posed half naked on FHM. Hello? Give justice to Kim Ross!”
He went on to say, “It’s sad that today, the International Women’s Day, our candidate was disqualified because of her work as model. A Filipina model photographed by the same photographer who worked with BPCI in the past, in an expressive work of art alongside with a respected male internanational supermodel. These works of art are not deemed pornogrpahic. It saddens me that while we celebrate love and equality, the very organization that should uplift women, denies them the chance to demonstrate empowerment. Hello lawyers of the Araneta Group of Companies. Hello Mar Roxas.”
He added: “This issue of disqualification of a worthy candidate is not just about pageants. It’s about hypocrisy. Kim Ross is a model who like Pia, is the breadwinner of her family. She was convinced to join BbPilipinas to perhaps improve their lives better. The lawyers of BPCI did not even check what the photo was about. It did not come out in any publication and was supposed to be a high end fashion shoot by The Doc Marlon who makes artwork not pornography. Now denying Kim her entry means they just shut her dream of becoming a beauty queen without due process, without any lawyer with her. Yes BPCI is a private (supposedly charitable institution). But they involved the public in getting contestants for the pageant. IMHO and FYI lang again to the lawyers of Araneta Group: you did not disqualify a girl who was also half naked last year that was published on FHM. Why?”
Gaffud’s supporters then presented comparisons of Delos Santos’ photo with the male model and photos of other pageant contestants that could also be considered as “sexy.”
Now, with the use of the #JusticeForKimRoss hashtag, Gaffud and Delos Santos’ supporters are fighting to get the latter back into the beauty tilt.
