CEBU CITY -- Celebrities Jennifer Lee and Maui Taylor pledged to continue to support women’s causes when they participated in Friday’s 10th Women’s Congress organized by the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC) at Cebu International Convention Center.
Lee said this is to compensate for the things she and Taylor did before, but have stopped doing now, like posing provocatively in magazines and accepting sexy roles.
The two stars gave the same assurance during a case mediation at the Palace of Justice Friday afternoon, to settle a case filed by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
Taylor, in a brief interview with reporters after the three-hour meeting, said they signed a compromise agreement for the promotion of the well-being of women in the province.
Taylor said they are confident the criminal complaints hurled against them at the Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) for violating the Provincial Women’s Code will eventually be dismissed.
Court mediator Alvin Redido said the two actresses promised to uphold Cebu’s advocacy for the benefit of women.
Garcia had sued the two celebrities and other persons responsible for the staging of a bikini show in Bantayan Island during the Holy Week in 2008.
She filed a criminal complaint before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor against Taylor, Lee, event organizer Elton Tio and Rommel Solomon, owner of the resort where the show was staged, for what she described as a “shockingly indecent, vulgar and obscene” show.
She also said the two violated Chapter 2, Article 2, Section 19 (pornographic and indecent shows) of the Women’s Development Code of Cebu.
Lee said Friday that she’s no longer active in show business after the incident in Sta. Fe, Bantayan.
“Now, I’ve become more mature, made more mature decisions and choices in my life. And this is one big step, supporting the Cebu Provincial Women’s Commission is one big step for me as a woman and as a person,” Lee said.
Lee and Taylor, now considered ambassadors of women’s rights, spoke of their views on the women’s role in society in front of more than a thousand women on Friday.
Sought for comment on criticisms over why they were given roles as ambassadors or champions of women’s rights, Taylor said, “It’s making up for whatever wrong we have done.”
“And si guv naman ang nagbigay sa amin, hindi namin hiningi (The governor gave us the titles, we didn’t ask for them),” Taylor added.
Meanwhile, Garcia called on the public to provide her the address of actor Paolo Paraiso so a subpoena can finally be served to him.
Paraiso is one of the accused in the controversial show, Pump ‘N Summer, but the Provincial Legal Office said the subpoena for him was not yet served because his residence cannot be located.
Capitol Spokesperson Rory Jon Sepulveda said the Province of Cebu will now deal only with Paraiso because the other accused already made a public apology.
Garcia said Taylor and Lee’s camps also agreed to participate in the religious activities in Bantayan during the Holy Week.
“So, as of now, we are seeing this in a very positive light. They have proven dili lang kutob pangayo ug pasaylo. They have shown not just by words but by deed. It’s a very, very positive development and I think this will turn out as mutually positive for both parties,” she added.
“Now we see these two young women changing their lives,” she added.
“This is positive not only for Cebu, but positive for the entire country as far as we women are concerned,” she told reporters.
Lee, 25, went back to school after the Bantayan incident and is now studying Hospitality Management, major in Hotel Administration and Culinary Arts.
Taylor, for her part, now hosts a celebrity talk show in Manila.
Taylor, who said she will be busy with the political campaign and hosting jobs this Holy Week, said she did not receive an invitation from the governor but will gladly cancel plans just to go to Sta. Fe. (RSA/GMD/Sun.Star Cebu)