“Damage has been done” – MPIP Statement Came Too Late & Too Little

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 13 February 2025 – The Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) Committee finally issued a statement today, 5 days after the damaging social media attacks following the 2025 Pageant finals hosted by the Solomon Islands last Saturday.

The statement simply said the committee recognised and deeply regrets the distress caused by recent disputes concerning the result of the pageant night.

“Unfortunately, these allegations have escalated to the extent of subjecting contestants to degrading treatment and issuing threats against the lives of certain judges, thereby, detrimentally impacting the camaraderie and ethos of the pageant.”

The statement however did not address the issue at hand despite calls from around the Pacific for a proper investigation and to hold the person responsible for the false allegations of results rigging against the pageant’s Head Judge, Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt.

A former pageant organiser told Talamua that the statement has come “too late-too little, the damage has been done.”

The organiser said there are policies and regulations that must be followed to ensure the successful progress of the pageant and steps to be taken if such events like the allegations against a judge surfaced.

She told Talamua that the MPIP committee should have issued a statement within 24 hours of the allegations.

She believes that if MPIP had issued a statement earlier, it would have prevented the harsh attacks on the contestants and the head judge, but the delay has opened the door for the exchange between Samoans and Tongans on social media.

The statement did not offer an apology or reasons why a statement was not issued earlier but only an explanation on why such pageant was established then acknowledge Miss Samoa Litara Ieremia Allan, the contestants, all involved in the pageant and the host country.

According to the former pageant organiser, the MPIP seems to take the stop notices issued on the pageant judges very lightly, which drew an unprecedented involvement of both the Solomon Islands and Samoan Governments.

Although the detained judges have returned to their respectful countries, a statement from the Solomon Islands Government issued yesterday said investigation continues based on the complaint and that formal charges will then be determined.

It should not have gone this far if the MPIP committee had done their part, said a former pageant organiser.