‘Playgirls’: Nobody told us to stop dancing

Nobody told them to stop.

This was the reason given by members of the girl group “Playgirls” after being criticized for their lewd performance during a post-Liberal party event in Laguna on Thursday.

“We just performed. We were just doing our job,” Rhia told INQUIRER.net in an interview. Rhia was one of the girls who was seen twerking during the birthday party of Laguna Rep. Benjie Agarao.

For privacy reasons, they didn’t give their full names.

READ: Tolentino gets flak for ‘surprise gift’ at LP event / WATCH: Sexy dancers in post-LP event Tolentino’s ‘surprise gift’?

Rhia said their manager, Michael Tupaz, asked if there were restrictions but the organizers of said event said they could perform their usual routine.

She said they arrived at the event wearing leggings but their client asked them if they could wear a “sexier costume.”

“We were just being professional,” Rhia said, saying it was what the client asked.

Another member of the group, Carla, said the organizers or the politicians who were present there should have stopped them if something was wrong with their performance.

“Kung nalaswaan sila, dapat before palang, pina-stop na nila yung show namin,” Carla said.

(If they found [our performance] lewd, they should have stopped us [from proceeding] with our show.)

But both Carla and Rhia said the audience enjoyed their performances because the crowd was “hyped” while they were dancing.

“Ibig sabihin nag-enjoy sila sa ginagawa namin,” the dancers said.

(That could only mean they enjoyed what we did.)

Not aware

Though Carla and Rhia admitted that they knew they were performing in a birthday party, they were not aware that it was Agarao’s birthday celebration and that prominent personalities would attend the party.

“Wala kaming idea kung sino yung mga nandun,” Carla said.

(We have no idea who were there.)

Rhia said they were surprised that there were politicians present during the party.

“Nagkagulatan kami lahat kasi may politicians nga,” she said.

(We were surprised there were politicians there.)

The two dancers confirmed that an emcee during the event introduced them as Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino’s “surprise gift” to those who attended the event.

“Siguro siya yung may pagkakamali,” Rio said, referring to the emcee of the event.

(Maybe it was the emcee who committed a mistake.)

Tolentino has earlier denied that he invited the sexy dancers, saying that the emcee probably got “misinformed.”

Carla and Rhia said they did not force the participants, some of which were politicians, to join them onstage while they were dancing.

“Kasi nung kumuha kami ng contestants, actually, in-inform namin sila kung sino ang may gusto. Di namin sila pinilit,” Carla said.

(When we picked the contestants, we actually informed them [we will dance with only those] who were willing to go. We didn’t force them.)

“Nandun kami para magtrabaho. Siguro nga nag enjoy sila kaya di nila pinatigil,” she said.

(We were there to work. Perhaps they enjoyed it that’s why they didn’t prevent us.)

Rhia said the public might have misinterpreted their performance as “lewd” because only parts of their video were shown and not the whole performance.

“They think differently. Na mis-interpret lang nila yung performance namin,” Rhia said.

Good publicity

Amid the bashing in social media for their performance, the group said they were not affected.

“Publicity is publicity whether good or bad,” Carla said.

“Walang problema sa amin. Kaya naman naming magdamit ng wholesome kung sasabihin,” she added.

(It’s not a problem for us. We can dress up wholesome too if they instructed us to do so.)

The group thanked the people who were “open-minded” enough to understand that they were just doing their job.

“Sa mga nakakaunawa sa amin, thank you,” Rio said.

(For those who understand us, thank you.)

Rhia said they are just working to earn a living and help their families.

“Wag naman kami i-judge. Porke nagtwetwerk kami ay mababa na kaming uri ng babae. Di naman nila alam ang history ng bawat isa sa amin,” she said.

(They shouldn’t judge us. Just because we twerk, they see us as women of ill repute. They didn’t know the personal history of each one of us.)

She said the issue was magnified because of the presence of politicians.

“Kapag artista na- twerk di naman masayadong big deal. Bakit nung kami gumawa nun ang pangit ng tingin ng tao sa amin,” Rhia said.

(If entertainment celebrities were the ones doing the twerking, it’s no big deal. When we were the ones doing it, people viewed us negatively.)

They said they were not affected despite being bashed in social media.

“Di nila alam kung bakit kailangan naming magtrabaho,” Carla said.

(They don’t know why we have to work.)

The group, however, apologized if they offended anybody but maintained that they were just doing their job.

The group said they did not feel they were molested during their performance.

“Wala naman kami sa katayuan namin kung nababastos kami,” Carla said.

(We’re not where we are now if we get molested [during performances.)

The group said no one among its members were minors. Nestor Corrales/ TVJ

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