The Philippines’ representative to the 2016 Mrs. Universe beauty pageant held in China recently has revealed that she was bullied by one of the candidates who locked her inside the comfort room during rehearsals.
“The door of the comfort room was doubled-locked. I keep banging the door with my hands to attract attention.
Fortunately they heard the noise and opened the door,” said Emma Cordero, during a victory press conference held at a hotel in Quezon City last Monday.
Cordero refused to identify the candidate who did it but said that she was European. “When I entered the comfort room, she was the last person to leave.”
The singer-composer who is now based in Japan said that she did not confront the candidate anymore because she did not want to pick a fight.
More than 70 candidates competed in this year’s beauty pageant for married women. Mrs. Austria was crowned Mrs. Universe 2016.
Cordero won the “Woman of the Universe” special award.
At the pageant, she said that she became close to delegates from Singapore and India.
Ovette Ricalde, national director for Mrs. Universe Philippines contest, also dismissed rumors that the just finished international beauty contest was rigged.
“When people lose in a contest, they will say that they are either cheated or the competition is rigged. We should always learn to accept the fact that there are losers and winners in every contest,” Ricalde said.
Cordero, who has two children, is one of the country’s popular lounge singers in the 1980s. Now based in Japan, Cordero has composed English and Japanese songs for several artists. She has also ventured into businesses abroad.
The beauty queen is active in charity projects and has built a school called Our Lady of Fatima de San Pedro School in honor of the Virgin Mary. She also established a foundation for poor children.