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Date Posted: 22:44:59 04/13/10 Tue
Author: PFanatic
Subject: Official Statement of Maria Venus Raj

http://adventuresofabeautyqueen.com/2010/04/14/ma-venus-rajs-formal-statement-to-bpci/

STATEMENT OF MARIA VENUS RAJ

In a letter to the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc dated April 7, 2010 and received by the BPCI on April 8, 2010, I, through my lawyers Atty. Geraldine Marie Berberabe-Martinez, Atty. Dickson Berberabe and Atty. Teodoro Pastrana, have demanded the following:
(1) that I be reinstated as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe within three (3) days from receipt of the letter;
(2) that the declaration replacing me with the 2nd runner up (Ms. Nicollete Henson), be nullified immediately; and
(3) that I be accorded all the rights and privileges appurtenant to the said Bb. Pilipinas-Universe title, including the right to represent our country to the Ms. Universe pageant.

We have maintained in that letter that I do not deserve to be dethroned of my title because I did not commit any misrepresentation. Likewise, I possess all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications prescribed by the BPCI.

On April 10, 2010, BPCI has come out with another statement that “after due deliberation, we have reassessed the situation pertaining to Miss Maria VR and have decided, for humanitarian reasons, that if she is able to obtain a valid Philippine passport, we will reinstate her as the reigning Bb. Pilipinas-Universe”.

I wish to extend my gratitude to the BPCI for reassessing my situation. More particularly, I would like to thank them for saying that they are “hopeful that I will be that Filipina who will represent our country in this year’s Miss Universe pageant”.

However, I would like to emphasize that my reinstatement should not be subject to any condition nor should it be based on humanitarian reasons.

I come from a poor family and integrity is our family’s wealth. Galing man po ako sa isang mahirap na pamilya lamang, itinuro po sa akin ng aking ina na ang integridad at kredibilidad ng isang tao ay napakahalaga sa ating buhay. BPCI’s previous accusation of misrepresentation has tarnished my reputation and has cast doubt on my right to the title of Bb. Pilipinas-Universe. My family, especially my mother, has been dragged into this undeserved controversy and has caused untold suffering and pain to us all.

In order to clarify matters, I, through my lawyers (Atty. Gigi Berberabe-Martinez, Atty. Dickson Berberabe, and Atty. Teodoro Pastrana), sent a letter yesterday to BPCI requesting that I be reinstated without the additional requirement of a passport. As I had stated in said letter, the holding of a passport was never a requirement for joining, and even winning the Bb. Pilipinas title. And accordingly, it should not be made a condition to my reinstatement now.

The Bb. Pilipinas-Universe crown is a prestigious title by itself and carries with it certain rights and privileges. Hindi naman po ito dapat ibigay sa kahit kanino only for “humanitarian reasons.” And regardless of whether I have a passport or not, I feel that I am capable of performing my duties and responsibilities as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe. Hindi lang po pagsali sa Miss Universe ang trabaho ng Bb. Pilipinas-Universe.

Ever since BPCI’s pronouncement, my friends and the media have been congratulating me on my apparent reinstatement. For purposes of clarification, however, I would like to set the record straight so as not to confuse the public as to the actual state of things.

I have NOT yet been reinstated as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe. This was quite clear in the statement given by BPCI. My future reinstatement was conditioned on whether I am able to obtain a Philippine passport from the DFA. This means that if I don’t get a passport, I will NOT be reinstated. So dun po sa nagsasabing I declined the offer of BPCI to start training, panu po ako makakapag-train kung di pa naman po ako reinstated? Wala pa po akong passport ngayon so ibig sabihin di pa po ako reinstated. At siguro po, dapat po yata may formal letter silang dapat i-send sa akin reinstating me so that things will be clearer.

Consistent with my previous pronouncements and in the interest of our beloved country which I might be representing, I would like to request BPCI to have my name cleared of any allegation of misrepresentation. This will erase any doubt on my character when I represent our country to the Miss Universe pageant and to the international community. Since it is the intention of the BPCI to always protect me, as they claimed in their statement, I respectfully seek for BPCI to reconsider their position to include the following (1) immediately reinstating me as the rightful Bb. Pilipinas-Universe subject to no condition and clearing my name of any misrepresentation issue or any doubt in my character, (2) subsequently nullifying the declaration replacing me with the Bb. Pilipinas 2nd-runner-up, and (3) according me all the rights and privileges appurtenant to the said Bb. Pilipinas Universe title, including the right to represent our country to the Ms. Universe pageant.

I was in Camarines Sur from Sunday until Tuesday for two reasons. First, somebody sponsored my trip and I had to attend to the programs they have prepared for me and second, I wanted to gather my documents in preparation for my application for my Philippine passport. I have intended to apply even before the BPCI statement came out last Saturday. The Miss Universe Organization (of New York) contacted me last week. They asked me several questions surrounding the dethronement and I narrated everything. They told me to just go ahead and apply for a passport. And that was what I intended to do even without the April 10, 2010 BPCI statement. And while I had vowed that I will apply for a Philippine passport and adhere to the rules and regulations of BPCI with respect to my reign as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, I hope that BPCI will be kind enough to do its part by reinstating me formally without any added condition and clearing my name of any misrepresentation issue. I am ready and excited to commence the training for the Ms. Universe pageant and I would like to thank all the people who have supported me in my plight. Maraming salamat po. Mga kapwa ko Bikolano, Dios Mabalos saindo gabos.

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