Jopay Paguia recalls painful exit from SexBomb Girls

SexBomb founder, manager, and choreographer Joy Cancio was only teasing Jopay Paguia, when she asked the dancer on "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" Thursday, if the six senior members of SexBomb ganged up on her when they all decided not to renew their contracts at the same time.

"Pinagkaisahan niyo ko?" She asked playfully, when suddenly and seriously Jopay answered yes.

"Yun po yung word. Totoo po yon," she admitted. "Napagkaisahan namin si ate Joy."

According to Jopay, there were hurt feelings then but in hindsight, Jopay could also say they stemmed from "immaturity."

"Parang bata kasi mag-isip. Konting kibot, masakit na. Mag-gi-give up na," she said.

Jopay recalled a group meeting with Cancio, at a point when they were all egging each other to quit. 

"So duon sa point na yon na, 'ano girls, tara na?' Dumating na kami duon, to be honest Tito Boy. 'Tara lahat tayo, hindi na mag-re-renew'."

Joy asked them one by one: "Mag-re-renew ka ba?"

"Una si Monic [Icban], pangalawa ako, tapas si Yvette [Pabalan]. Last na si Ate Rochelle [Pangilinan]," Jopay recalled, admitting it was painful to leave the group.

"Eventually, dumating ako sa point na wala akong trabaho, wala akong manager. Pero hindi ako pwede mag-dwell duon sa kung among nangyari," she said.

Cancio admitted she was hurt by their decision but said she could understand the girls, and could even see herself in them. "Parang ako yan sa Vicor Dancers dati. I need to grow. I have a dream. Yung dream, hindi ma-pu-push kung andito pa ko. Hindi aka magiging founder, magiging manager, magiging choreographer ng SexBomb kung nagsasayaw pa aka sa Vicor that time."

In a previous "Fast Talk" episode, SexBomb members Rochelle Pangilinan and Sunshine Garcia said there was no conflict between the members and Cancio when the group disbanded.

"Kay Ate Joy, wala naman pong away sa kaniya. Siguro, noong nagwatak-watak na talaga 'yung Sexbomb, noong nagkanya-kanya na kami ng landas namin, hindi namin napag-usapan talaga 'yung kung anong nangyari. Walang klarong closure," Sunshine said

Pero sa amin kasi isang araw, hindi na lang kami nagkita, hindi na kami pumasok, naging dalawang araw, naging one week, naging one month, naging one year, naging dalawang taon, hanggang sa sanay na lang kaming hindi nagkikita-kita," Rochelle added.

The Sexbomb Girls had a reunion concert at the Araneta Coliseum on December 4 and the SM Mall of Asia Arena on December 9.

They are set to hold the third and fourth rounds of the show on February 6 and 7 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The group rose to fame through its daily appearances on a noontime TV variety show. Later, the Sexbomb Girls starred in the afternoon soap, "Daisy Siete," and became top recording artists. — LA, GMA integrated News