Ex-beauty queen outraged by abrupt removal as Miss Philippines Earth 2024 judge

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – A physician and former beauty queen has expressed outrage over her last-minute removal as a judge from the Miss Philippines Earth 2024 pageant in Bukidnon province on Saturday, May 11.

Ana Monica Tan, Misamis Oriental’s Miss Kuyamis 2018 and Miss Philippines Air 2019, expressed disappointment towards the organizers of the pageant over her “unprofessional treatment,” her lawyer and former Misamis Oriental provincial tourism officer Jeffrey Saclot said on Saturday.

Speaking for Tan, Saclot said the doctor was informed about her removal through a phone call by the event’s production head on Friday, May 10, a day before the grand coronation night held in Talakag, Bukidnon, a neighboring town of Cagayan de Oro.

There was no explanation provided or even an apology when Tan was informed about the sudden changes, according to Saclot.

Saclot said they saw it as “a gesture of belittling Dr. Tan’s person and a reflection of how disorganized and unprofessional they handle people and their events.”

“Dr. Tan confided to me this extremely unpleasant experience of hers, opening up about her disgust on how unprofessionally she was treated, which is tantamount to disrespect and clearly causing her serious emotional damage,” he said in an official statement he posted on his Facebook account.

A screenshot of the text messages between Tan and the production head posted by Saclot on his Facebook account showed that the beauty queen expressed dismay about the last-minute change. She said she was formally invited, accepted it, cleared her May 11 schedule, and prepared for the event.

According to Saclot, Tan was initially informed that she was chosen as one of the judges on April 13 and received the formal letter of invitation on May 7, signed by Lorraine Schuck, executive vice president and co-founder of Carousel Production Incorporated, the company behind the Miss Philippines Earth pageant.

“I hope you will handle this better the next time around. Your action is a reflection of your integrity,” Tan told the production head in a text message.

The situation prompted Saclot to bring the matter to the attention of Peachy Veneracion, Carousel Production vice president, via Facebook Messenger.

Saclot said only after he confronted Veneracion did people from the organizing committee send messages to Tan, apologizing for a “miscommunication,” and that the physician was still invited to serve as one of the judges.

Tan no longer responded to the messages because “she felt insulted and was really hurt,” he said.

“We are sharing this for the awareness of all concerned that in whatever situation, we should act with respect and professionalism,” Saclot said.

Tan, he said, has yet to decide whether to pursue legal action against organizers of the pageant.

Rappler reached out to Veneracion on Saturday through the same online messaging platform in hopes of getting a statement, but she has yet to respond as of posting time. This story will be updated once she or the organizers issue a statement.

Out of 29 candidates vying for the title, Irha Mel Alfeche of Matanao, Davao del Sur, was crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2024. She will be representing the country at the upcoming Miss Earth 2024 in Vietnam. –Rappler.com