Miss Eco Int'l 2020

 The aftermath brouhaha

   By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

After the Miss Eco International (MEI) final show, a ruckus ensued as to the health and safety of candidates, as some of them tested positive in the required swab routine, and couldn't, as yet, travel home as a result. Some quarters even say that MEI 2020 first runner Kelley Day tested positive even before the coronation night. But as the subject was in the realm of speculation, the rumor soon died down.

To clear the air, MEI Philippines national director Arnold L. Vegafria issued an official statement. "The Miss World Philippines (MWP) is coordinating closely with the MEI Organization in ensuring the health and safety of all the candidates in its recently concluded pageant. Our official candidate, Ms. Kelley Day, remains our topmost priority and we remain optimistic as we await the results of the organization's medical testing procedures."

Not long after that, a pageant site posted faces of candidates with the caption, "Get well soon, girls." Among those in the photo collage was Kelley, together with candidates from Thailand, Reunion Island, Montenegro, Canada, Malaysia, Argentina, and Peru.

Formally addressing the issue, the MEI Organization, through its social media account, gave an official statement that said, "MEI Organization will ensure the safety of all our candidates. All accusations made publicly against us may have (been) taken out of proportion. We are trying our best to coordinate with everyone including the ladies who are still here in Egypt. And we have fulfilled our duties as promised. And we're taking good care of all our infected queens. We thank all our national directors and candidates for their support and understanding. Our attorney in the US will start taking the legal process against the organization that post against us without any evidence."

Meanwhile, the national directors of Thailand and Peru have issued scathing statements against the organization, and have reportedly dropped their franchises and vowed never to field their candidates in the same pageant again.

To update Filipino fans on Kelley's well-being, MEI Philippines national director Arnold L. Vegafria issued another official statement that read, "We are happy to announce that Ms. Kelley Day is doing okay health-wise, and is currently awaiting the results of her RT-PCR test, which should yield more conclusive results. However, she can't fly to Manila just yet, since there are no available flights so far because of the ongoing MECQ lockdown. In the meantime, she remains safe and secure in her hotel where she is enjoying her extended vacation at the same time getting adequate attention to ensure her total wellness under the auspices and care of the MEI organizers."

Pageant fans have suggested that the Philippines take after the decisions of Thailand and Peru to stop sending delegates to the beleaguered platform.