I ALWAYS admire Filipino citizens who aspire to bring honor and glory to the motherland and could hardly believe the news reports that came out in October 2019 about Samantha Ashley Lo, Binibining Pilipinas Grand International. She was held at the Charles de Gaulle international airport in Paris by French immigration authorities upon arrival from Manila and not allowed to board her connecting flight to Caracas, Venezuela, where she was to participate in the Miss Grand International beauty pageant. Imagine a Binibining Pilipinas (Miss Philippines) of regal beauty and bearing being whisked to the deportation area to catch the next flight back to Manila. For incapacity to pay the overweight charges or some reason, she had to leave behind her luggage containing the evening gowns and costumes she was to wear at the pageant.