Marco Poli on sexual harassment: Speak up, say no

Alexa Villano

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Marco Poli on sexual harassment: Speak up, say no
'Huwag mo hintayin matapos ang pageant'

MANILA, Philippines – Mister Supranational Philippines 2018 Marco Poli encouraged candidates from both male and female pageants to speak up on sexually harassment – even before the competition they joined ends.

In an interview with Rappler at his send-off on Thursday, November 22, Marco said: “If someone’s going ot harass you, all you have to do is just to say no in a good way. If the person is stll bothering you, then that’s the right time to speak up as soon as possible…  Huwag mo hintayin matapos ang pageant. Kung baga kung nangyari in the middle of the pageant just tell right away.”

(Don’t wait for the pageant to end. In other words, if it happened during the middle of thepageant, just tell someone right away.)

The pageant scene was recently rocked by scandal after Miss Earth candidates accused a sponsor of sexual harassment during the pre-pageant activities. (READ: Miss Earth 2018 candidates accuse sponsor of sexual harassment )

The sponsor, later alleged to be as Amado Cruz, denied the allegations against him.

Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago also came out with her story, saying that sexual harassment happens everywhere. She recalled that when she was a kid, she was molested by a priest.

Marco said that organizers should talk to the candidates even before the competition and in return, the candidates themselves speak up about anything that makes them uncomfortable.

Preparations

Marco said that for his preparations, he continued the physical acitivities and diet he’s been on during the Mr World Philippines competition. He’s also been brushing up on Polish culture and language.

Asked what he’s looking forward to when he lands in Poland, the Filipino-Italian football player said: “Of course I’m looking for the first title because I want to be the first Mister Supranational from the Philippines and Asia. It would be a very big deal for me. But of course at the end of the day, you just have to show and everything will follow.”

Gabriel Correa of Venezuela currently holds the title.

Marco also said he wants to focus on teaching sports to kids.

“I want to teach kids and to have sports clinics where I can teach kids how to play sports . Not just because to stay healthy but its also a way to promote kids to be pro-active and to become more responsible citizens. At the same time because it keeps them busy,” he said.


Marco left on Saturday, November 24 for Poland. The Mister Supranational pageant is scheduled on December 8. — Rappler.com

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Alexa Villano

Alexa is one of Rappler's Lifestyle and Entertainment reporters, covering local entertainment news to a wide range of topics from beauty pageants to reality shows.