Shamcey Supsup leaves political party after Ian Sia’s lewd remarks

Metro Manila, Philippines - Miss Universe Philippines 2011 Shamcey Supsup, who is running for councilor in Pasig City's first district, has left her political party after a fellow candidate made lewd remarks against single mothers.

In a statement, Supsup said she decided to resign from “Kaya This” as her values are no longer aligned with the direction of the team.

In a political rally last week, the team’s Ian Sia, who is seeking a congressional seat, joked that solo mothers can sleep with him if they feel lonely. Sia also caught the ire of the public when he introduced a female staff member he described as fat in a campaign event.

These incidents have prompted the Commission on Elections to issue show cause orders against Sia.

Supsup said the decision to quit “Team Kaya” was not an easy decision.

“This decision is not made lightly, but with full respect for my fellow aspirants, for the Miss Universe Philippines Organization whose mission I carry, and for the many women and girls who look to me for strength and clarity,” she said.

“I choose to stand firmly by the values I’ve upheld throughout my life: dignity, respect, accountability, and women empowerment. At this point, I believe the best way to stay true to these principles is to take a step back, reflect, and listen, to allow space for clarity before taking the next steps,” Supsup added.

At the end, the beauty queen said she is grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the team.

A women’s group, meanwhile, has already sought the Supreme Court’s help to penalize Sia for violating the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability for lawyers. A party-list representative has also sought a congressional probe on his remarks.