MANILA – Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago recently took to social media to show her support for beauty queens who have opened up about their experience of sexual harassment.

Over the weekend, Santiago surprised her friends and followers with her Facebook post, where she revealed her own stories of sexual harassment and abuse.

She began by saying that she was molested by a priest from her hometown of Masbate as a child.

“I was molested when I was a child by a priest. He is still preaching somewhere in Masbate,” Santiago said, not giving further details.

The beauty queen-turned-actress went on to share that she was also “touched inappropriately by a well-known businessman.”

“This guy is a well-known CEO of a big company (companies pa nga eh). He even organized parties for girls who didn’t win with his friends,” she said.

“The next time I met him, I was a candidate and the organizers were there to see things thoroughly. He couldn’t interact with us because the chairwoman was present and also the chaperones.”

On top of these, Santiago said she also encountered a “middle-aged man” who “managed to accidentally swing his hand touching my behind.”

The Miss International 2013 titleholder said there was also a time when she saw a fellow beauty queen feeling uncomfortable during a visit at a government office.

“We were at the Congress or Senate,” said Santiago, who seemed unsure about where the harassment took place, “when a queen was touched (her behind) while taking a photo.”

“She immediately told me (with a help me look) so I put my hand covering her back, protecting her from the ‘old well-known perv.’ We just won an international pageant, but still [it happened].”

Read her full post below:

Santiago admitted that she is “honestly really scared to speak up,” saying she hopes that she “won’t regret this.”

Many were quick to praise Santiago for opening up and inspiring them to fight sexual harassment not only in pageants, but in the entire country.

“You did what is right. This happens everywhere. I had my own experiences, too. That’s why I hate it when people say kasalanan ng babae because of the way they dress,” said Binibining Pilipinas Tourism 2011 Isabella Manjon.

“Thank you, Queen B,” said Miss Earth Air 2012 Stephany Stefanowitz.

