Cebu - Following the erroneous announcement of the Globe Texter’s Choice at the Miss Cebu 2009 coronation night, Kimberley Therese Burden has formally pulled out as Miss Cebu second runner up.
In a press conference at the Grand Convention Center yesterday, Burden’s aunt, Dr. Marilu Burden, said the decision was made by the entire family.
Likewise, Burden would no longer receive the prize money and everything else she would be receiving as runner-up. Prizes are yet to be given to the pageant winners.
Echoing an earlier statement from Burden’s mother, Rowena, Marilu said they would not have reacted aggressively to the issue had the Miss Cebu Organizing Committee immediately explained the error during the coronation night itself.
Early during the coronation night last week, Miss Cebu 2009 Kris Tiffany Janson was announced Globe Texter’s Choice. However, shortly before the coronation, the pageant host announced there was another Globe Texter’s Choice and that it was Burden.
It turned out that Burden got 117,797 votes while Janson got 95,830. The two got the highest number of votes from among the 12 candidates.
In an earlier statement, CCTC told The Freeman it was an “honest mistake” on the part of Bruce Bullozos, production manager of the marketing consultancy firm that worked for the award. Burden’s family, however, refuses to believe so.
“If someone from the commission went up to the stage and claimed their honest mistake and announced it before the crowd, wala na ta’y problema. But they did not do anything to rectify it, there was no honest mistake mentioned. Instead, they proclaimed that there is a second winner,” Marilu said.
Marilu said immediately raised the matter to CCTC acting head Cinbeth Orellano right after the first announcement was made. Orellano then referred her to Maria Lester Ybañez, reportedly the one in charge of the special award.
“I then went to Ms. Marti and told her the same thing. Her first statement was, ‘No, that’s right, Kris won.’ I proceeded to show her the text and said Kim got the highest number of votes. Without even glancing at the phone in my hand she told me that ‘it’s an award given by Globe and they chose the winner’,” Marilu said.
Since Ybañez stood firm that Globe chose the award’s recipient, Marilu said Orellano advised her to keep the text message that showed Burden gaining more votes.
Still, Marilu and Rowena decided to talk to Philip Rodriguez, project chairman of Miss Cebu, but it was reportedly Bullozos who faced them and admitted he got confused with the names.
Despite Bullozos’ admission, no explanation was reportedly made public, prompting them to relay the complaint to acting mayor Michael Rama.
“Kim strived hard and played fair to be Miss Cebu but this award meant more to her than the crown…the “honest mistake” brought Kimberley Therese Burden extreme pain and suffering. The damage has been done; she has been broken and will never be whole again,” Marilu said. – Marigold P. Lebumfacil/JMO (THE FREEMAN)