Malabon council: Sorry for ‘lewd’ show

MANILA, Philippines - The Malabon City council issued yesterday a public apology for the “lewd” performance of the Playgirls during the Team Malabon rally Monday night.

Councilor Leslie Yambao said they were “unaware” that the group will attend the rally. “We regret what happened,” she said.

After receiving criticism for the sexually suggestive dances and games done by the Playgirls, Mayor Antolin Oreta announced yesterday that he is “considering” dropping his vice mayoral candidate, Councilor Edwin Dimagiba, whom he blamed for the flub.

“I was bypassed. I was not consulted,” he said in front of Team Malabon’s 12 candidates for councilor.

Dimagiba, on the other hand, said he “has no knowledge” that the Playgirls would perform in that manner.

Oreta said he was “negligent” for not knowing the program but insisted that the preparations were handled by the office of Dimagiba’s cousin, re-electionist Malabon Rep. Jaye Noel-Lacson, who is running under the Team Malabon slate.

Oreta, however, said Dimagiba – who is running against four candidates – should be “more assertive in running the campaign” instead of leaving it all to Lacson. He noted that he and Lacson are running unopposed.

Oreta said he and Dimagiba “are having difficulties” with the way the campaign should be run. “He has a different perception on campaigning,” he said.

Oreta said he is thinking of supporting re-electionist Vice Mayor Diosdado Cunanan of the Liberal Party but has yet to make a decision.

He claimed that Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II called him Monday, hours before the rally, and requested that he support Cunanan instead of Dimagiba.