- Miss Earth 2018 candidates opened up about the sexual harassment they experienced during their stay in the Philippines.
- Although they were excited about the pageant, Amado S. Cruz continuously sexually harassed them.
- Miss Earth Organization has yet to speak up about the said issue.
Miss Earth-Canada Jaime Yvonne Vandenberg, Miss Earth-England Abbey-Anne Gyles-Brown and Miss Earth-Guam Emma Mae Sheedy shared their experiences on being sexually harassed by a pageant sponsor named Amado S. Cruz.
They all expressed how excited they were to enjoy the Philippines which was ruined when Amado S. Cruz asked for sexual favors. The three candidates shared their experiences on their own Instagram accounts.
Vandeberg leaves competition.
Jaime Yvonne expressed her excitement over competing and the chance to explore the Philippines.
“I was so excited because I had been to the Philippines before and loved the country and the people; however, the experience with the pageant was not what I had expected.”
Vandeberg revealed that she left Miss Earth as she no longer felt safe.
“I left Miss Earth because I did not feel safe under their care.”
Jaime Yvonne told the story of how her phone number was given away without her consent. Someone started calling her, asking for her hotel and room number. Although she gave her phone to a team manager, it wasn’t resolved.
The man, whom she didn’t name in the post, showed up to all her events. He asked her for sexual favors just to get further in the pageant. Vandeberg ran into him when she was visiting the other girls’ hotel where he continued to ask for her room number.
Jaime Yvonne wasn’t staying at the said hotel but still continued to get strange calls. She later recognized the number and blocked it from her phone. During an event at the Manila Yacht Club, the man took sultry photos of other girls.
Later in the pageant, Vandeberg and the other girls went to an event at the Yacht Club where he told girls he could bring them to the newly-renovated Boracay as long as they wouldn’t tell others. She and other girls went outside as they no longer felt comfortable in his presence.
He followed them outside and expressed his dismay when Jaime Yvonne and the other girls weren’t dancing with him. Instead of resolving the issue, team managers only laughed and asked the girls to be nice. She and the other girls refused to get back to the event and were only allowed to sit inside the bus.
Vandeberg shared that she was able to talk to Lorraine Schuck, the founder and executive vice president of the production that runs the pageant. She, however, had to experience two more weeks of sexual harassment before Carousel Productions addressed her concerns.
Jaime Yvonne shared that she was only told not to put herself in a position where she felt uncomfortable and blamed the harassment on her. She felt like she couldn’t leave the pageant as the organization had taken her passport on their first day. She and some of her friends fought to get her passport back which allowed her to leave the unsafe situation.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp2cOy7nWMG/
Gyles-Brown attests to harassment.
Abbey-Anne expressed how she worked so hard to get to the top of the pageant. She was elated when she found out that she could represent England in the competition in the Philippines.
“I have worked very hard for my title of Miss Earth England and as I have previously mentioned I took 4 years to get to the top and win my place at the Internationals. I was elated to finally represent England over in the beautiful Philippines.”
Gyles-Brown’s trip was marred by the same man who asked for sexual favors in exchange for the Crown. She attested to Vandeberg’s experience at the Manila Yacht Club and being asked for her hotel and room number. She was with Jamie Yvonne when she approached team managers who only laughed at them.
Another official attendee told Abbey-Anne not to cry as she would only ruin her make-up. She felt that the said team managers didn’t care about the trauma they experienced. She added that it wasn’t only her and Vandeberg who experienced the same harassment.
Gyles-Brown approached Schuck who promised the man will be removed from all contact with contestants which didn’t happen. She was one of the girls that sat with Vandeberg inside the bus away from the predatory man. She added that the said sponsor still showed up at a preliminary event and attended the Coronation night.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp4g1mQh7H8/?utm_source=ig_embed
Sheedy names harasser.
Emma expressed how the Philippines is her second home and explained why she wanted to join the pageant.
“I was excited to travel back to the Philippines for the 6th time. The hospitality of the Filipinos is not found anywhere else. The Philippines is like a second home to me. I joined the pageant to make a difference and be a role model to those around me. “
Sheedy’s perception on pageantry and its sponsors changed because of Amado S. Cruz. He became a problem to delegates, including her. She revealed the she was pulled aside multiple times to be invited to his house in Boracay where she and other women can dance for him.
Emma revealed that Amado S. Cruz grabbed her bare backside during the National Costume Competition. She was able to push him away but was continuously told that she was not allowed to tell anyone about it.
Sheedy also told the story of her experience during the same event at the Manila Yacht Club. She pointed out that many girls felt uncomfortable when Amado S. Cruz announced that they were going to have dinner away from team managers and security personnel. She, along with other candidates like Vandeberg and Gyles-Brown, left but was followed by the same man where he insisted that they should stay inside and dance with him.
Emma pointed out that it took 20 minutes for their team managers to bring them to their bus. She noted that Jaime Yvonne and Abbey-Anne spoke with Lorraine on the phone who didn’t make the girls feel comfortable and safe.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp5Wz9UnAAR/
Schuck questions why they aired their issues online.
During a report from CNN Philippines on November 8, Thursday, Lorraine insisted that this was blown out of proportion. She said that the girls didn’t detail their concerns to their team managers.
“Medyo na-blown out of proportion… Naiba. So ewan ko ba kung bakit umabot to sa social media, eh natapos na kami noong October 14 pa. So I really do not understand. So if they’re saying na tuloy-tuloy pa din yung harassment na naramdaman nila, bakit hindi nila sinasabi sa team manager at sa police.”
Amado S. Cruz deactivates Facebook account.
After a backlash from pageant fans and netizens, Amado S. Cruz deactivated his Facebook account.
Miss Earth Organization has yet to speak up about the said issue.
