MANILA, Philippines - Tagbilaran, Bohol Mayor Dan Lim is in hot water after he was accused of pulling down his pants and exposing his genitals to two flight attendants while he was on a ZestAir flight from Tagbilaran to Manila last Dec. 16.
Camille Rose Diaz and Janine de Castro filed grave scandal and sexual harassment charges against Lim, 59, before the city prosecutor’s office the day after the incident.
Diaz, in her affidavit, said Lim reacted violently after he was prevented from going to the lavatory while the plane was still in the process of landing at the old Manila Domestic Airport.
“You want me to pee here?” Diaz quoted the mayor as saying. He then reportedly “unbuckled his pants and showed his private parts” in front of her and De Castro.
The pilot, Capt. Ronaldo Ramos, later allowed Lim to use the lavatory to avoid further scandal, Diaz said.
“It was a shocking, traumatic experience we had,” Diaz said.
Upon landing, Lim and Diaz were invited to the airport headquarters to air their side. Diaz said she expected Lim to apologize but instead, the mayor accused her of embarrassing him.
“I have nothing to do with this. It’s there already. It’s my word against theirs. I cannot do otherwise. It would be an insult,” he was quoted as saying.
Lim deplored the stewardess’ act of preventing him from going to the lavatory, saying he is diabetic. He added that his “character, reputation and my personality is at stake. It’s more than an ordinary issue.”
News of the incident has spread on the social networking site Facebook, with at least one person commenting that Lim “embarrassed the entire populace of Tagbilaran City.”