2010 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Maria Venus Raj Dethroned

In less than one month after nyang makoronahan bilang Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, nakatakdang bawiin ng Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) ang korona ng half-Indian, half-Filipina na si Maria Venus Bayonito Raj dahil sa issue ng kanyang nationality.

Ayon kay Jenny Inocencio-Marcial, Corporate Affairs and PR Manager ng BPCI, nakita ng BPCI na may inconsistencies sa statements ni Venus at ng kanyang ina, at sa legal documents na isinumite nina Venus sa mga abugado ng BPCI bilang patunay ng kanyang nasyunalidad.

"We found inconsistencies in their statements. Both Venus and her mother said she was born in Doha, Qatar, while yung na-submit nilang legal documents say she was born in the Philippines," pahayag ni Ms. Marcial.

At sa official statement ng BPCI, sinabi nito na tuluyan na ngang tinanggal ang korona sa dalaga, "Today March 29, 2010, Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. decided, with a heavy heart, to let Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2010 Maria Venus Raj go, after the organization discovered inconsistencies contained in her birth records, in contrast to her personal account of her birth."

Dahil sa mga pangyayari, ang 2nd runner-up na si Helen Nicolette Mercado Henson ang siyang magsusuot ng korona at magre-represent sa Pilipinas sa darating na 59th Miss Universe Pageant in August.

Matatandaang ang pagkuwestiyon din sa nasyunalidad ang naging dahilan ng pagkakabawi ng korona kina Anjanette Abayari (Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1991), Tisha Silang (Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1998), at Janelle Bautista (Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1999). Ipinanganak at lumaki sa U.S. sina Anjanette at Janelle, habang sa Canada naman si Tisha.