What Went Before: Playgirls in political gatherings

The controversial Playgirls performed in many political gatherings during the campaign for the 2013 midterm elections.

In April 2013, the female dance trio performed risqué numbers and “parlor games” during the proclamation rally of Team Malabon (TM) led by Malabon City Mayor Antolin “Lenlen” Oreta III and Rep. Josephine Veronique “Jaye” Lacson-Noel for their vice mayoral candidate, Edwin Dimagiba of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

TM was composed of local leaders from the Liberal Party (LP), NPC and Nacionalista Party.

The rally drew criticism online for the “lewdness” of the Playgirls’ performance and Oreta considered replacing Dimagiba on his ticket with then Vice Mayor Diosdado Cunanan of the LP, who was seeking reelection.

According to Oreta, the rally, which featured “games” that had men going half-naked onstage and making suggestive body contacts with the performers, was organized by the staff of Dimagiba’s cousin, Lacson-Noel.

READ: ‘Lewd’ rally causes cracks in Malabon mayor’s team

Dimagiba lost to United Nationalist Alliance candidate Jeannie Sandoval.

On their official Facebook page, the Playgirls posted on May 14, 2013, a congratulatory message for the politicians they had campaigned for.

Listed on their post were unseated Laguna Gov. Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito, Rep. Bambol Tolentino of the 7th District of Cavite province and brother of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Francis Tolentino, Mayor Elyong Hernandez of Rodriguez, Rizal province, Mayor Goto Violago and Vice Mayor Edison Veneracion of San Rafael, Bulacan province, and Lacson-Noel. Inquirer Research

Sources: Inquirer Archives, Facebook page of Playgirls

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