Sexy stars, organizer indicted for "bikini show"

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office has recommended the filing of charges in court against sexy stars Maui Taylor, Jennifer Lee and Paolo Paraiso together with the organizer of a “bikini show” in Sta. Fe town in Bantayan Island after establishing that there is probable cause to charge them for violating the Revised Penal Code for indecent shows.

The resolution, signed by First Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Napoleon Alburo and approved by Second Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Joseph Berciles, found sufficient basis to charge Taylor, Lee, Paraiso and the organizers with violation of Article 201, paragraph 2 (b) of the Revised Penal Code.

Under the applicable provision of the Article 201, paragraph 2 (b) of the RPC provides that “those who, in the theatres, fairs, cinematographs, or any other place, exhibit indecent or immoral plays, scenes, acts or shows, it being understood that the obscene literature or indecent or immoral plays, scenes, acts or shows, whether live or in film… serve no other purpose but to satisfy the market for violence, lust or pornography.”

In a seven-page resolution, Alburo and Berciles also recommended for the filing of the corresponding information against organizers Elton Tio and a certain Chinggay, Rommel Salomon, Mercuriy Gumera, Hotbabes Taylor and Lee and actor Paraiso with the Regional Trial Court Branch 61 in Bogo, Cebu.

If found guilty, a penalty of prison mayor or a fine ranging from P6,000 to P12,000, or both such imprisonment and fine, shall be imposed.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has filed a complaint against the organizers and performers of a bikini show for defying her executive order to strictly observe and implement the provisions of the Provincial Women’s Development Code of Cebu.

Lee and Taylor earlier claimed that they refused to wear the bikinis provided to them by their organizers and what they were wearing were the bikinis they brought.

They argued that what they were wearing were not skimpy and even wore some clothes to cover their bodies. Taylor said that she was only wearing a bathing suit and no nudity on her part.

But the claim of Taylor and Lee are not convincing enough against Garcia’s presented evidence.

 “The other matters raised by the respondents are matters of evidence which must be adduced and proven by them in court and not during the preliminary investigation,” the prosecutors said. “The evidences would suffice to constitute a probable cause of the offense charged.”

Paraiso has not submitted his counter-affidavit, which has been construed as a waiver of his opportunity to submit.

Tio, Gumera and a certain Chinggay denied that the show involved any indecent, vulgar, lewd or scandalous show. They said that the show was not a bikini contest or a beauty contest.

But the complainant attached an exclusive video footage shown on GMA 7 Balitang Bisdak that the show business personalities were on stage wearing their bikinis with other men and women also clad in beach attire dancing with them.

“The video recording and the pictures appearing on the front pages of the newspapers are contrary to the allegation of the respondents that there was no indecent and lewd show conducted by the organizers, choreographers and the performers of the show in the early morning of April 12, 2009,” the resolution reads.

Salomon, who owns the vacant lot where the show was conducted, could not escape liability even if he argued that he was not around when the incident happened.

“As owner of the lot, he has to exercise control and supervision of what had his lessee done of the leased vacant lot… Respondent Salomon cannot just interpose any alibi that he was not around when the alleged indecent or lewd show was conducted by his co-respondents,” the prosecutors said. — Garry B. Lao/WAB(THE FREEMAN)