LP to probe ‘sexy dancers’ incident in Laguna event

MANILA, Philippines - The Liberal Party (LP) will investigate the lewd show held after the oath taking ceremonies of party members and the birthday celebration of a congressman in Sta. Cruz, Laguna last Thursday.

Three scantily clad women who belong to the group Playgirls performed a sexy dance number during the celebration of the 58th birthday and 40th anniversary in government service of Laguna 4th District Rep. Benjamin Agarao Jr.

One of the dancers was seen on top of the crotch of an unidentified male who was lying on his back and simulating the sexual act. The raunchy number was performed even if there were minors in the audience.

The program’s emcee repeatedly said that the dancers were a surprise gift of Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino to Agabao.

Tolentino, however, denied this, saying he was just a guest at the party.

LP presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II clarified that he is against any campaign gimmick that exploits women.

“I am saddened by what happened and the Liberal Party is now conducting a comprehensive investigation to determine how it happened,” Roxas said in a statement.

Roxas, however, did not say if the investigation would lead to the imposition of sanctions against erring LP members.

He called on his allies to avoid resorting to gimmicks that may offend public sensibilities.

“I remind those who stand with us on the Daang Matuwid: Let us shun these kinds of gimmicks because these are offensive and do not contribute to raising the level of public discourse,” he added.

Roxas lamented that there are some groups trying to link him to the controversy even if he did not watch the dance number.

“I believe the public is intelligent enough to focus on meaningful discourses about issues and candidates,” he said.

The program that featured the Playgirls was held after the oath taking of about 80 new LP members. It also came two days after Tolentino announced that he is running for senator in 2016.

Malacañang maintained yesterday that it would not tolerate such lewd shows like the recent LP event in Laguna.

“Women are not objects to be given away as gifts during celebrations. The President has always stood firm against the exploitation of women and will not condone such displays of disrespect,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.  

Senate President Franklin Drilon vowed yesterday that the LP leadership would be looking into the alleged “immoral” acts by some of its members who could have tolerated the “lewd show” after the oath taking of 80 new party members in Laguna.

Drilon abhorred the performance of sexy female dancers at the LP event that coincided with the birthday celebration of Agarao last Thursday in Sta. Cruz town.

“As sworn adherents of the Tuwid na Daan form of reformist politics, LP members are expected to display upstanding and morally upright behavior. Those who fail to prove to the nation that they are good and morally responsible public servants have no place in our ranks,” he said.

Drilon said he joins the LP leadership in its commitment that the party officials will get to the bottom of this incident.

“We will not let the good name of the LP be besmirched with this sorry, isolated case,” he said. 

House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II urged the LP, to which he belongs, to conduct an investigation into the incident.

In calling for an inquiry, Gonzales said the LP should determine who provided the performers and why.

He decried efforts by opponents of LP presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II to link him or the ruling party to the incident.

“It is not our policy nor it is the policy of our standard-bearer to use women in our campaign. We just held our national directorate meeting last Monday and no one did a twerk dance there,” he said.

He said if the lewd show took place in his district in Mandaluyong City, Church leaders would have pilloried him.

Tolentino could be removed from the list of possible LP senatorial candidates if he is proven to be responsible for the lewd show during the LP event Laguna.

“If true, the LP must do nothing less than remove Chair Tolentino from its Senate slate. Exploitation of women simply has no place in the Daang Matuwid,” said Dinagat Rep. Arlene Bag-ao, who is also speaking for the LP subgroup “Mamamayang Liberal.”

“Women are not gifts to be given, but leaders of our nation and partners for social change. This has been proven by the sterling performance and track record of women in government and civil society,” Bag-ao said.

‘Tuwad na Daan’

 The LP slogan was mocked as “Tuwad na Daan” by netizens when the video of the scantily clad dancing girls went viral.

Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, who is being courted to be the running mate of Roxas, said: “There’s no place in our party for any activity that tramples on the rights and dignity of women.”

LP secretary general and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Sato described the performance as “a gross insult to all the women involved, the Liberal Party and indeed, all Filipinos and Filipinas who espouse equality.”

Sens. Grace Poe and Aquilino Pimentel III reiterated yesterday the need to ensure that the rights of women are respected at all times, even during political sorties.

A former chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), Poe reacted adversely on how an oath taking activity and birthday party of an LP stalwart in Laguna turned into a “lewd show” last Thursday.

“Respect for women is important, not for anything else. All of us have mothers, sisters, when we see that we will feel sad,” Poe said in Filipino in an interview in Cotobato City.

Pimentel, chairman of the Senate committee electoral reforms and people’s participation, said the respect for women is under general rules. There is no need to put specific rules on the country’s election laws.

“That’s already in the general rule on Respect for Women. Let them learn from what happened. We all make mistakes. Let them learn from what happened, that they should be careful next time,” said Pimentel, president of the PDP Laban.

Laguna congressman apologizes

Agarao apologized yesterday for the lewd show that took place during his birthday celebration at his residence in Sta. Cruz.

“If some people saw it as wrong, I apologize for it. Who would want one’s birthday celebration to be lewd, inappropriate and controversial?” Agarao said in a radio interview.

He said his constituents did not consider the show as improper and treated it as part of his birthday celebration.

He said he did not know if senatorial hopeful and Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino provided the three female performers belonging to the Playgirls as a birthday “gift” to him as announced by the emcee.

“I was not informed by him. He could have told me, Pareng Benjie, they will perform as my gift to you,” he added.

Tolentino has denied supplying the performers.

Playgirls: Wild, not lewd

Karla Espiritu, a member of the Playgirls, told GMA News that Tolentino did not invite them to the Laguna party, but a certain Joan from Laguna brought them to the event.

The Playgirls said Tolentino had invited them in past events but not to the party in Laguna.

She said their show was wild but not lewd and it was just part of their twerking.

“Ang mga nag-invite hindi po sinabi na me politics na involved,” she said.

Even Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was not happy with the controversial appearance of a group of sexy girls during the LP event in Laguna.

She said the performance of the Playgirls was “demeaning and appalling.”

“Any form of objectification of women is appalling. And, based on reports, there were children and youth present in that party. To expose them to such a suggestive lewd show does not speak well of one’s values as a public official who should instead be taking care of youth formation among his constituency,” De Lima, an expected LP senatorial candidate in the 2016 polls, said in a statement.

“Such a casual treatment of the individual dignity of human beings sets back any progress we make in women’s rights and the protection of children. Definitely, whether or not there were children, such an indecent adult show in public deserves censure and condemnation,” she stressed.

More than 1,000 netizens are asking President Aquino, as LP chairman, to personally apologize over the sexy dance number during Agarao’s birthday party.

A Change.org petition scored LP over the incident.

“The entertainment at a Liberal Party oath-taking ceremony and attended by government officials presented women as sexual objects,” read the petition.

“Section 19 of the Magna Carta of Women or Republic Act 9710 clearly states that the portrayal of women in a discriminatory, demeaning and/or derogatory manner in advertisements, shows and programs is not allowed. Women should always be portrayed and represented with dignity,” it added.

The petition urged Aquino, as head of state and LP chairman, to personally apologize over the “unfortunate but deplorable incident.”

It also called for the investigation of officials who attended the oath taking, particularly presidential candidate Mar Roxas, MMDA chair Tolentino and Agarao.

Roxas reportedly left the venue prior to the sexy dance number.

Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) said Tolentino and Agarao should issue public apologies instead of denials.

“Their insincere denials are worthless and lame excuses are even worse. We want to hear Tolentino and Agarao declare that the performance was offensive to women, say they are sorry for it and promise not to have similar acts in their upcoming political events,” PM official Erika Isaias said. – With Janvic Mateo, Mayen Jaymalin, Edu Punay, Christina Mendez