MANILA, Philippines – Aces and Queens founder and talent manager Jonas Gaffud clarified the issue regarding Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc (BPCI) and newly crowned Bb Pilipinas Intercontinental Katarina Rodriguez. 

On Tuesday, May 2, reports flew that Katarina may not accept the crown she won during the April 30 coronation night. They said that BPCI had given Katarina until May 2 to send her resignation letter. But Katarina denied the reports soon after they were released, saying that she never said that she was resigning.

In an interview with reporters at Pia Wurtzbach’s UNAIDS ambassador launch on Wednesday, May 3, Jonas admitted that he did not know why BPCI said that Katarina expressed that she may not accept the crown.

Katarina herself was confused, he said, when he spoke to her at around 6 pm on May 2 to understand what was going on. 

“She just doesn’t understand what’s happening. She was sleeping the whole day. And people were calling her and speculating about things,” said Jonas, after saying that he told her to call BCPI’s Gines Enriquez to explain the situation.

“So siya din, parang naguluhan na parang bakit ang daming nag-post ng ganun, ang statement sa media. Hindi naman siya nagbigay ng ganung statement talaga,” he continued.

(So she was also confused as to why there were so many posts in the media about a statement. She never gave that kind of statement, really.)

Jonas also reassured those concerned that that he received “a letter of acceptance” the night before – not a resignation letter – and that Katarina had no issues with citizenship.

New to the pageant world

When asked why it may have appeared that Katarina didn’t want her title, Jonas speculated that it was because she was new to the pageant world. During their phone call, he said, she was okay and happy. 

“Siguro wala pang nag-explain talaga sa kanya, hindi niya mundo ang pageant. Wala talaga siyang idea,” he continued. (I guess no one really explained it to her, pageantry is not her world. She really has no idea about it.)

After he explained it to her, said Jonas, Katarina asked him, “‘Do you think I can really be a beauty queen and that I can compete in Miss Intercontinental and that I can really win?’ Sabi ko (I said) yes, you already won. It’s very difficult to win in the Philippines.”

He continued, “Parang may’ realization siya, na (I guess she had a realization that) she wanted me to tell her that she has the potential,” he added.

Jonas assured Katarina that she will be guided by Aces and Queens  and BPCI on her journey to the international pageant.

Orientation day

Jonas said that another reason BPCI may have thought she was resigning was because she did not attend the winning queens’ orientation day on May 2. 

“Well, kasi nga, hindi nagpakita. I mean, ang issue kasi ay hindi siya nagpakita sa unang orientation, diba? [Which is] kahapon, na tulog na tulog kasi siya. Nagising siya nang 5 pm,” he said, when asked why it was rumored that Bb Pilipinas 2017 First Runner-up Charmaine Elima would replace Katarina.

(Well, because she didn’t show up. I mean, the issue is because she didn’t show up during orientation, right? [Which was] yesterday, because she was asleep. She woke up at around 5 pm.)

Signing things.  pic.twitter.com/NFiOJXyzc0

— Katarina (@KatarinaRodri) May 3, 2017

“So if you’re not interested, ako din, kung ako yung organizer, kung hindi ka intersado, o bakit wala ka, o if you don’t want it... and so of course duty ‘yun ni Charmaine Elima [as first runner-up] to take over for her,” Jonas continued.

(So if you’re not interested, me too, if I was the organizer, if you weren’t interested, or you weren’t there, or if you don’t want it… and so of course duty ‘yun ni Charmaine Elima [as first runner-up] to take over for her.”

Jonas said at the begining of the interview that any official statements about Katarina’s title should come from her and BCPI, but he also maintained throughout the interview that he received a text saying she was still Bb Pilipinas Intercontinental 2017. – Rappler.com