THE boyfriend of a tourist who was fined for wearing a bikini that looked like a “piece of string” has slammed police, insisting she didn’t do anything wrong.
The 26-year-old was enjoying a stroll through Boracay beach, Philippines, with her boyfriend, when she wore the skimpy white bikini.
The hotel they were staying at claimed staff told her the outfit was inappropriate before they set off for the beach.
She failed to apologise, insisting it was a “form of art” and kept the outfit on.
The woman was later reported to police who fined her £40 for taking “erotic and lewd photographs”, the Philippine New Agency said.
But there are no laws against wearing indecent clothing.
Today, her partner has questioned why the outfit is still being sold if it’s inappropriate.
While he admitted the bikini was “a little over the top”, he told Asia One: “If this swimsuit is considered [to be] flouting the law, then why was it sold in a local shop saying she had bought it on the Philippines Island and hadn’t expected to be stopped by the police for wearing it.
“We didn’t know what we did wrong, the police just insisted that we co-operate,” he added.
While hotels and resorts have certain protocols in place, warning tourists on the unofficial dress code, Major Baylon said it was an “an eye-opener for resort owners to brief guests to dress appropriately”.
Jess Baylon, the Police Chief of Malay, which includes the Boracay, previously told the Philippine Daily Inquirer: “Several residents and tourists took photos of her on Wednesday and Thursday because of what she was wearing.
“It was literally a string. In our conservative culture, it is unacceptable.”
She was issued a citation for violating a law that forbids the taking and displaying of “erotic and lewd” photographs and hit with a fine which she had to pay before she could leave the island.
