Dethroned Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2010 Venus Raj : Creating uproar among Filipino pageant fans!
Filipino pageant fanatics from the four corners of the globe are now asking more questions to the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) regarding the dethronement of Bb. Pilipinas – Universe 2010 Maria Venus Raj last March 29. Raj’s loyal fans even setup an online petition on Facebook so that the BPCI will know how Filipinos are reacting over Raj’s disqualification. The dethroned beauty queen was supposed to represent the country in the 2010 Miss Universe Beauty Pageant this coming May but BPCI stripped off Raj’s crown and title as the beauty queen was discovered born out of wedlock and have inconsistencies in her birth records.
The news about Raj and BPCI is really getting hotter these days and becoming a national issue. In fact, one blogger named Jasper Caesar even take the matters on his own hands as he wrote a letter to the President of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), Miss Paula Shugart. Here’s the letter below:
Ms Paula Shugart
President
Miss Universe OrganizationDear Ms. Shugart,
Mabuhay and Happy Easter!
Quite recently, the Miss Universe franchise holder in the Philippines, the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc (BPCI), dethroned its deserving winner, Maria Venus Raj, on the basis that there are inconsistencies in her birth certificate and her personal account of her birth.
There is a public outrage over this dethronement here in the Philippines, and the clamor to reinstate the title to Maria Venus Raj is strong and snowballing. Many people believe that Maria Venus deserves to represent her countrymen to your organization’s prestigious beauty pageant.
The reason behind the dethronement stems from a falsified birth certificate saying that Maria Venus was born in the Philippines to a married couple, inconsistent with the information furnished by Maria Venus and her mother that she was indeed born in Doha, Qatar to an Indian national and her Filipina mother, out of wedlock.
Reports have revealed that the birth certificate was falsified three years after Maria Venus’ birth to hide her illegitimacy and perhaps to lead a normal life away from the mockery of her very rural and strictly Catholic environment (she lives in a nipa hut in the middle of the rice fields).
There was no bad faith coming from Maria Venus as she had always been honest about being born in Doha, Qatar. This fact she wrote down on her application form with BPCI. Because all candidates were asked to submit proofs of their being a Filipino national, she submitted what legal document she possessed in her hands.
BPCI had enough time to look into all the documents of all potential candidates during the screening period running for a few months, and thus, BPCI proclaimed 24 girls out of the hundreds as its official candidates after having met all the requirements.
We feel that there is injustice here for Maria Venus. Although the best way to make this clamor is to direct such petition for reinstatement to BPCI, we all know that the Colombian-run charity organization always do not heed any Filipino’s plea as in the many cases of dethronement and disqualifications they did in the past.
I am writing to your good office in hopes of being heard, and of letting your organization know how much Filipinos revere and respect your pageant, and of how much the Filipinos take pageants seriously.
This case, however, becomes more special, because Maria Venus comes from a marginalized sector of society (rural poor, illegitimate, bi-racial) who fought against the odds of her life by sending herself to school and graduating cum laude, and holding on to her dream of becoming a beauty queen who can help others like her have hope in life. By letting her continue on and represent the Philippines in the most prestigious pageant in the universe will give a positive signal to all underprivileged people that yes, Miss Universe, paves the way for those hopeless and downtrodden to have a chance in life.
I, like the thousands of heartbroken Filipinos, hope that my prayer won’t fall on deaf ears. Like the Miss Australia in the past where the intervention and blessing of Mr. Donald Trump allowed her to retain her title and compete eventually in your pageant, may Maria Venus Raj get your organization’s time to look into the matter.
God bless and more power to the Miss Universe Organization!
Very Respectfully Yours,
Xxxx Xxxxx
Filipino National
The blogger’s letter has been answered. Here is the reply:
RE: On Miss Philippines-Universe Dethronement
Saturday, April 3, 2010 8:15 PM
From:
“Paula Shugart”Thank you for your letter. MUO is looking into the matter.
So, what do you think ? Can Venus still take the crown back granting that BPCI has already declared 2nd runner-up Helen Nicolette Henson as a replacement?
Let us wait and see…. Meanwhile, here’s the video.
Cheers,
Photo Credit: Jasper Caesar
Viewed 22590 times by 10710 viewers
Snow is the author behind Dear Bloggery. Married to a college schoolmate with one cute kid, Snow is balancing time with family and work to ensure sanity.
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I am so saddened because she was stripped off the crown. Calling Donald Trump and MUO President Paula Shugart…
These Pageant Officials! I can’t understand them! Is this Pageant out there to shame and vilify people? It looks like it kasi! They will let a contestant win and then find some dirt to shame them! Parang sina Paul Farol and Amiel Aguilar! They bully people on the internet!
Venus interview was heartwarming. Tama nga naman, it is not her fault if she was born out of wedlock. Sino bang tao may gusto nun?
Nagtataka kung baket palaging late nang ni-check ng Bb. Pilipinas ang mga backgrounds ng mga candidates nila. Dapat auditions pa lang tsinicheck na para makaiwas sa mga ganitong fiasco.
Katulad nyan, meron bang pinoy na ang apelyido e Raj? Syempre, magtanong tanong ka na sa background ng kandidata etc. Nabobohan ako sa mga ginagawa ng mga tao ng Bb. Pinas. Hindi maayos magtrabaho, mas gusto pang mapahiya ang kandidata at pati organization nila. ~higop kape~
Lumalabas na palyado at hindi credible ang Bb. Pinas sa pagcheck nila sa backgrounds ng mga candidates nila.
Napahiya tuloy ang kandidata. Hayzt.
Naawa nga ako sa kanya, she prepared for it all her life. Then, hindi pa siya nakakaisang buwan biglang inagawan na ng korona! I have watched the Bb. Pilipinas pageant on television and I truly say that she is the rightful winner from the beginning. If there are loopholes sana hindi na siya pinasali.
Anyway,I do hope Mr. Donald Trump and Paula Shugart will allow still allow her to represent the Philippines. Based on her fansite, there are countless people who already emailed the Miss Universe Organization just to reinstate Venus Raj for the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2010 title.
i’d say: DON’T GIVE UP! FIGHT THESE PEOPLE WHO SHAMES YOU! Parang sina Paul Farol, Amiel Aguilar Martin Cabanlig James and Eric Bordeos.
Reynz: buti na lang yung crown mo naka-welding…hehehe…
oo naman! tingnan mo naman, kahit anong gawin nang victorina walang magawa, di manakaw ang korona ko.
teka lang ha?
mag-oorasyon muna ako sa mga tikbalang group na yan!
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[...] Comments Venus Raj Dethronement: Creating uproar among Filipino pageant fans! | Barrio Siete on Meet Helen Nicolette Henson: (The newly appointed) Bb. Pilipinas–Universe 2010!Venus Raj [...]
HAHAHAHAHAHA, Ateng tiga Bato, Camarines Sur pala itatz! Ka-uragon mo!
I know Kutz! Subukan lang nilang kalabanin ang mga Uragon! Hahaha! Hindi kami tumatakbong pa-atras hahaha!!!
I LOVE HER! Palaban at dapat lang! Leche! After winning the crown, ipapahiya nila? Honestly, I want her to sue the Pageant with libel and slander at kung ano pa! Basta! Idemanda nya ang mga tifaklong na yan! I am with her all the way! Leche! Uragon den ata ang beauty ko! HAhHAHA
Go Uragon! Go Reyna Elena!
Parang election poster lang oh. Hahhaha.
And eto pa, bakit si Henson na second runner up ang pinalit eh meron naman first runner up. Dianne Necio is also a Bicolana from what I heard.
I’m crossing my hands and long legs na sana maibalik kay Ateng Venus ang crown and title.
haaayst! saten talaga oo! kung ano ano na! kahit sa pinoy blogosphere ganun din! leche talagaaaa!!!
undersage daw kase para sa miss universe pageant yun first runner up
If Dianne Necio is underage, bakit pa nila pinasali? What if she won the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe title, eh hindi rin siya makakasali sa Miss Universe? Juice ko ha.
I think a 17-year old can join Bb. Pilipinas as long as she’ll turn 18 pagdating ng international pageant na sasalihan niya.
It’s time na siguro that Mrs. Stella Araneta let go of the franchise. She has not produced a semifinalist in more than ten years. Such a failure. Or better yet, baguhin niya ang style niya.
So what if she was born out of wedlock?! Does that mean na everybody born out of wedlock EH PANGET?! If that’s the rule nang pageant eh something’s OUT OF LOCKS nang isip nila!
Disqualifying a deserving winner because she was born out of wedlock is hilarious! Ano kinalaman nun sa pagkapanalo? Heller? Sasabihin ba niya sa Miss Universe presentation na: ‘Mabuhay, I’m Venus Raj, 21, an illegitimate candidate from the Philippines!’ Hmpft, kaasar ha?!
I wasn’t even aware about this until someone from FB , a fellow Bicolano, sent me the link. It’s sad that this has happend, but I am proud of her..and I hope she would regain her crown..being born out of wedlock is not her fault. Mabuhay an mga Bikolana! =)
I hate reading these types of headlines: “Illegitimate beauty queen Maria Venus Raj loses Miss Philippines title ”
WHY ARE THEY VILIFYING PEOPLE BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK?! JEZZZ CHRIST!!!
Gawd! What’s with the “ILLIGITIMATE”?!
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/illegitimate-beauty-queen-maria-venus-raj-loses-miss-philippines-title/story-e6frfku0-1225848139688
walang kasalanan ang nanalo. hindi siya ang nagparehistro ng sarili niya, during interviews sinasabi naman niya ang totoo. ang maging anak ng bastardo o bastarda ay hindi kasalanan ng ipinanganak. ang masakit gagastus ka ng pera para ilaban ang kaso, kung wala kang pera paapi ka na lang, ganyan sa bansa natin maraming ugok.
hindi talaga kasalanan nung bata ang naging kapalaran niya at lalong hindi niya kasalanang 3 years late na iregister ang birth records niya! tsaka heller, alam ba nung baby venus na sasali siya sa beauty pageants at magkakaproblema ng ganito? i also heard she comes from a poor family kaya of course, mas uunahin nilang may maihain sa hapag kainan kaysa ayusin ang papeles na yan…
the title is hers and hers alone. she won it on all counts and interviews. i agree these pageant officials should be sued. she must continue to fight this one. the other lady who they put as replacement should RETURN the crown and resign. she did not deserve the crown.
this is puzzling too, imagine they let necio join and placed 1st runner up samantalang if someone is stripped off the crown ay hindi pala siya eligible to compete abroad! sana naman they change the mechanics di ba? this is sad you know, winning a beauty pageant here is a big thing tapos bigla lang nagkakaganito sa huli.
While the pageant organizers (BPCI) claim to support children’s causes and orphanages, then to turn around and strip Venus of her title because she was born out of wedlock IS THE HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY. What’s even worse is they’ve accused Venus of being “deceptive” when all along, they knew about Venus’ complete history. They’ve clearly done this so they could have their own handpicked pedigreed candidate!
What is worse is that the BPCI, by their actions, continues to validate and perpetuate the myths and stigma attached to children born out of wedlock. The BPCI, therefore, has capitalized on the worst form of discrimination to justify their ends, then lying about it by accusing their victim of deception!
Where then are the BPCI’s standards of ethics, morality, decency and sense justice in all of this?
BPCI now has NO CREDIBILITY as a charitable organization because it is morally bankrupt! What they’ve done to Venus is CRUEL and INHUMANE. SHAME ON THEM!
very well said glenn.
Hay naku, para matapos…let Reyna Elena and Mel Beckham represent Philippines in the Ms. Universe pageant.
~emailing Donald Trump~
HAHHAHAHAH.
Piz guyz. I am really pissed off dyan sa ginawa ng Bb. Pinas.
ay bongga! rampadora at santacruzan to the max!
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hello guys,
I was watching Venus interview today at the buzz here in the states and i was so impressed the way she answers some questions from boy; she really has stunning beauty who deserve to be re-instated to her title. Sad to say this is common doing of BPCI members to stripped title holder after proclaimed the winners. Also, it is unfortunate and disgraceful to learn how they screening candidates then after the fact would lose prestige and dignity as a representative to Ms Universe. I believe so these incompetent individuals who run the pageant is bias and discriminatory in nature. They deserve to punish in court and pay substantial amount to regain Ms Raj dignity and prestige. I as american citizen will support Ms Raj emotionally and spiritually. CHEER VENUS you are not alone….
raymond
los angeles
I didn’t realize the pageant organizers were members of the CBCP…
Wala namang illegitimate children eh. Illegitimate parents lang.
Yan ang lesson na dapat matutunan ng mga parents. Yang pagsisinungaling para matakpan ang kahihiyan, ay babalik at babalik din. Sa ganitong sitwasyon, yung anak ang nagbayad.
I suppose natututo na sila. Sana yung mga impaktong sinungaling na bloggers din katulad nina Amiel Cabanlig, Eric Bordeos at Paul Farol, ay matuto na rin!
“I suppose natututo na sila. Sana yung mga impaktong sinungaling na bloggers din katulad nina Amiel Cabanlig, Eric Bordeos at Paul Farol, ay matuto na rin!”
HAHAHA! unless they realized they are in a wrong company, they have the wrong ideas, they have the wrong objective, they have all the things wrong in life, they won’t change. sabi nga kung ano yong lider, ganun den ang rank n file.
Guys and gals, let us help Venus to be reinstated! Let us sign the online petition. This young lady is really deserving to represent the Philippines in the upcoming Miss Universe Beauty Pageant:
http://www.petitiononline.com/genres5/petition.html
Go Team Venus!
You too can shoot MUO Paula Shugart an email. Her address is paulas@missuniverse.com
I was really upset of what happening right now to our newly crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe “Venus Raj”. Hindi kasalanan ni Venus o kung sino pang contestant na naging winner previously ang dapat sisihin ay ang BPCI. Ang kapal ng mukha nila tapos ma proclaim na winner tapos ma dethrone lang na walang ka abog- abog. I saw the Binibining Pilipinas here abroad and I can say that Venus Raj deserved the crown. Dapat mag protesta tayong mga Filipino para hindi na maulit ang ganitong mga pang yayari.
We support you Venus, gusto naming na maibalik ang crown mo at ikaw ang kinatawan ng Pilipinas sa 2010 Miss Universe Pageant.
what a shame on the part of Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc…
they should have done the screening before the pageant not after…
an Taga pa ng rason… nagdethrone na nga… tapos 2nd runner up pa pinalit…
kasi daw di pumasa sa age requirement yung 1st Runner-Up…
TANGA! e di form the start di na pala talaga pwede makoronohan ng Ms Universe yung 1st runner-up ngayon? alam nya kaya yon?
waaaaaaaaaah! dnt tell me pinasali nila… what if kaya if nanalo ng Ms Universe yugn 1st Runner Up? idedethrone din nila? for what? because of failure to meet age requirement?
ang TANGA! BOBO! magrarason nalang kayo… mali pa…
bakit pa kayo nag pageant? bakit niyo pa pinasali?
ULOL! dapat sa simula i check niyo na…
pumasa… pinasali niyo.. kinoronahan.. tapos tatanggalan niyo ? sobra naman kayo…
parang gusto niyo lang magpahiya ng mga babeng Pilipina…
mga nag proprotesta…
Wag lang yung kay Raj ang isipin niyo..
imagine niyo kaya yung 1st runner-up…
kung siya nanalo ng Miss Unvierse? dethorne din pala siya kasi nakapasa sa age requirement..
BB Pilipinas Charities… sumagot kayo… ayusin niyo ha!>. wag kayong tatanga tanga!
At heto pa masakit king: “According to TV Patrol, BPCI stands firm on their decision to “prevent future aspirants from emulating Venus”.
eh bakit si Melanie Marquez, she won the Bb. Pilipinas International 1979 and Miss International 1979 crowns at the age of 16, they allow it. Tapos Marquez she was also born out of wedlock pero hindi na-dethrone!!!
So why are they treating Melanie Marquez and Venus Raj in a different way?
..to think na si Melanie Marquez didn’t even reach the minimum age requirement!
Please support:
http://barriosiete.com/lets-help-reinstate-ms-venus-raj-as-rep-for-bb-pilipinas-universe-sign-the-petition/
uu nga NAPAKALAKING TANGA NAG MGA TAONG BUMUBUO SA BB PILIPINAS ORGANIZERS LALO NA SI BOBO AT [please lang po wag mag-mura hirap i-edit mga comments kasi ~TANOD] STELLA ARANETA…LALO NA SI MS. GLORIA DIAZ NA SUMAKAY PA SA KAMALIAN NG BB PILIPINAS…IT SHOWS THAT MS GLORIA DIAZ IS SO UNFAIR..SHE’S ONE SIDED…IT SHOWS THAT SHE’S IN FAVOR OF THE ORGANIZATION THOUGH SHE MIGHT KNOW WHATS THE REAL HAPPENING. ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED TO VENUS IS SO UNFAIR AT YUN REASON NG BPCI IS NAPAKABABAW…ITO LANG HA..MAGGY WILSON WAS CROWNED AS BB PILIPINAS-WORLD AND ALLOW HER TO PURSUE IN THAT COMPETITION…THE FACT THAT IT IS CLEAR THAT MAGGY HAS VIOLATED ONE OF THE RULES…MAGGY DOES NOT FINISHED HER HIGH SCHOOL BUT THEN THAT IDIOT BPCI STILL ALLOWED HER AND LET HER COMPETE IN THE INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT…DI BA UNFAIR…ASIDE FROM THAT YUN PINAKA BOTTOM LINE IS YUN BUMUBUO NG BPCI ORGANIZERS AY UBOD NG TANGA…DPAT PALANG DURING SCREENING STAGE ALAM NA NILA YUN…AND DURING ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW SINAGOT NMAN NI VENUS LAHAT NG KATANUNGAN NILA AT WLANG TINATAGO SA SARILI NYA KUNG ANONG KLASENG PAGKATAO NYA AT MAGING KUNG ANONG KLASENG PAMILYA ANG MERON SYA…PORKE’T ISA LANG BA SYANG HAMPAS LUPA NA NAKATIRA SA ISANG BARONG BARONG SA GITNA NG PALAYAN GAGANYANIN NA NILA…BPCI DI BA CHARITY WORKS KAYO,,,IBIG SABIHIN YOU ARE WORKING FOR THE LESS FORTUNITE PEOPLE…PERO ANG NANGYAYARI AY KABALIKTARAN. YUN NGA SI MELANIE MARQUEZ DI BA SI MELANIE MARQUEZ AY MALIWANAG NA SHE’S BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK AND ASIDE FROM THAT SHE WAS UNDERAGE THAT TIME..PERO BAKIT NAKAYANAN NYONG PAGTAKPAN YUN…ANG PANANAW KO SA BPCI IS PUNO NA NG PULITIKO AT WLA NA RIN AKO TIWALA SA KANILA…NAPAKABABA NA NG MORAL AT DIGNIDAD NILA…SA MGA NAGNANAIS NA SASALI SA PAGEANT NA TO BY NEXT YEAR WAG NYO NA ITULOY KASI MASASAYANG LANG ANG PINAGHIRAPAN NYO….MAMATAY NA KAYO TAGA BPCI…MGA TANGA AT BOBO…HAHAHAHA…GO TO HELL…
yah…its really insane..bakit xa e dethroned?its not her fault..its all bpci’s fault
BPCI should clean their mess in a nice way..they are responsible for all this shit..maria venus raj don’t deserve this kind shame..i believe that venus did her best to be able to get the crown..
Enter Mr. Donald Trump. Out Ms. Stella Marquez-Araneta!
what’s the latest?! naki-alam na ba si Donald Trump?
sources say that miss universe org president paula shugart and donald trump has already read a lot of emails from filipinos.
i’ve been reading venus fan page in facebook at mga beauty pageant messageboards. base sa mga nababasa ko, confirm nga na madaming sumulat sa miss univese org.
[...] Pilipinas Charities Inc (BPCI) announced on April 10 that Venus Raj can be reinstated as Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2010. The statement was released through the Araneta [...]
Hey The Miss Universe Organization also replied to my email sometime ago.
I think the emails are read by robots and I doubt if Paula ever read all of the emails.
I don’t think Filipinos take pageants serioulsy kasi Miss World are not broadcast here bcoz of low tv ratings.
Only the gay community and few women watch beauty pageants.
btw the reply of Paula Shugart is the same reply I got. So I think the mail are answered by a robot. hehehe
[...] lang pala dito sa Pilipinas pumapalya ang screening ng mga beauty pageant contestants ha! Kahit din sa abroad may loophole din pala. This [...]
[...] those who have missed the show, sana po ay mapanood ninyo ito sa You Tube. Goodness gracious, Venus Raj was a sight to behold and she really exuded a regal aura during the preliminary competition. [...]
Apparently, Mrs. Stella Araneta and BPCI were only being managerial, not hypocritical, about her circumstances.Philippine law requires births to be reported to Government, inside territory (Local Civil Registrar’s Office) or outside territory (nearest Philippine Consulate/Embassy) within 1 month of occurrence. Late-registration renders a BirthCert suspiciously fraudulent, as in the case of Maria Venus Raj. Be that as it may, the lady is a Filipino national by principle of “jus sanguini” because her biological mother is a Filipino – notwithstanding that her biological father is Indian and that she was actually born in Doha, Qatar. The problem is, a late-registered BirthCert makes passport application at the Department of Foreign Affairs complicated and U.S. Visa application at Embassy Manila near impossible. Now if there’s no passport nor visa, how to get to Las Vegas and compete?
Unfortunately during the pageant’s final competition, poll and audience favorite Venus Raj subconsciously thought out her answer to William Baldwin in native language (Iriga Bikolano or Rinconada), and then articulated it in second language (English). Psycholinguists will confirm that a non-native speaker, even if intermediate level in learning achievement, may hardly be able to respond with spontaneous eloquence in second language within a fleeting time-sensitive instance at a public stage event. The hard lesson learned here is that, even if a Philippine beauty candidate can speak English, she should opt to avail of interpreter service, as how English-speaking Miss Mexico did. After all, Miss Universe is not an English public speaking contest — it is an international beauty competition!
Still, making it to Top 5 in hand-me-down gowns was no minor, minor feat. So here’s my sincere “MAJOR, MAJOR CONGRATULATIONS TO MISS RAJ!”