'Pili na Kayo ng Girls': Inside the Secret, Ultra-Exclusive Gentlemen's Club for Politicians

I’ve been friends with Brian C.* for years, and if there’s one thing you should know about him it’s that you can always count on him for a good story. That was certainly the case when he invited me and a few of our other friends over for coffee at his place one Saturday afternoon. 

I can’t say too much about what Brian does except that his job requires him to meet and interact with all sorts of different people almost on a daily basis. In this particular story, he told us about that one time he was invited to an ultra-exclusive gentlemen’s club frequented by politicians. We all sat transfixed as he narrated his experience of being granted access to a place that was off-limits to non-members, giving us an inside look at how the rich and powerful live their lives.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Brian’s story that, two weeks later, I made him sit down and tell it to me again. This time, I asked him to be as specific as he could and not leave out any details. Also, I had my tape recorder on.

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Up to the penthouse

The visit took place sometime in “late 2002 or early 2003.” At the time, Brian had met and became friendly with a very powerful politician who had butted heads with another, even more powerful government official. This politician, whom Brian referred to as his Sponsor, invited him to have dinner and drinks one evening after work.

“I thought we were going to a regular bar,” Brian said. “Yun pala it was a top secret, clandestine na lugar.”

The place was at the penthouse of a familiar hotel in one of the city’s business districts. When Brian and his Sponsor arrived at the hotel, they took a dedicated elevator that took them straight up to the club.

The elevator doors opened to the place itself, which was dimly lit.

“There was a huge hallway, very dark,” Brian said. “The elevator was in the middle. To the left, there was a bar, with drinks. May mga billiards table. We were ushered to the right, sa may restaurant.”

Brian said he noticed a few doors that led to what he would later find out were private rooms. There were also double doors that led to what he thought was a conference room.

“The area where they brought us was very dark,” Brian said. “Binuksan lang nila yung drop lights near our table.”

There was another bar on that side, and it was here where Brian could finally see other people.

Members only

“I recognized politicians,” he said. “I thought to myself, ‘Ah, andito pala sila.’” 

At that point, Brian asked his Sponsor about the place, who answered that it was an exclusive club whose membership was by-invitation only.

“Ako lang daw  yung nakapasok dun na non-member,” Brian said.

“I know they were surprised to see me there,” he added about the other people inside the club. “Ako yung ibang mukha. Yung iba dun, kilala ako kasi nakikita nila ko. Nae-encounter nila ko. Hindi sila warm. I didn’t feel welcome.”

Brian said his sister worked in the very same hotel and she expressed surprised that he was able to get in. “She was a boss there and even she had never set foot in that place.”

But she knew that place existed? I asked.

“Oo. Alam niya that there’s an exclusive place there, and that they’re not allowed to go up,” he said. “Alam nila that it was a special, secret club. Pero hanggang dun lang. Ako pa tinatanong niya kung ano hitsura nung lugar.”

Brian and his Sponsor finally settled into a table and ordered food and drinks. Brian said he got a San Mig Light and a burger. It was then that he said they were joined by another person whom Brian knew casually within the industry they both worked in.

“It was awkward,” he said.

But the situation was about to become even more awkward. 

Enter the girls

While they ate, talk turned mostly to politics, particularly about the upcoming 2004 presidential elections. It was right after they had finished their food when the double doors opened and out walked a woman whom Brian recognized from the entertainment industry. Three girls wearing sexy but classy clothes followed the Lady to where the three gentlemen were seated. The Lady introduced the girls one by one not by their names, but by what they did.

“’Eto front desk sa isang hotel,’” Brian said, mimicking the high-pitched, heavily accented voice of the Lady. “Eto stewardess.” He couldn’t remember what the other girl did.

Brian realized then that the Lady was a pimp and they were being made to choose which one of the girls they wanted. He even remembered his Sponsor saying, “’O pili na kayo ng girls. Anjan mga kwarto,” gesturing to the rooms. “’Kunin niyo na.’”

The girls took a seat next to Brian and the other guest, while the Sponsor got up and approached the other politicians at the other end of the bar. At that point, Brian said he knew it was time to go. 

“Gumawa na lang ako ng excuse, sabi ko may trabaho pa ko,” he said. “Si [redacted] din, kunyari may trabaho pa rin. Sabay na kami umalis.” 

On the elevator ride down, Brian and the other guest were silent. Both were aware that they were caught in a very compromising position. 

“Pero hindi siya nakatiis,” Brian said. “Sabi niya, ‘Sikreto lang natin to ha.’ So sumagot naman ako. Sabi ko, ‘Oo, sikreto natin to.’ We both agreed to keep the experience to ourselves. Pareho kaming malilintikan sa trabaho namin if anybody ever found out.”

Lady and gentlemen

All in all, Brian said he spent no more than two hours at the fancy club. He said he didn’t see anybody picking a girl and taking her to one of the rooms, although it’s entirely possible that that could have happened after he left.  

“I kept thinking, may ganito palang mga club, just for them,” Brian said, referring to the rich and powerful members of Philippine society. “It wasn’t open to the public. That’s when I got a glimpse of their lifestyle. They even had their own pimp.”

Brian said he never heard anything else about the club after that visit, although he would often see the Lady at various functions and events.

“Even sa bahay ni Sponsor, she was there. Nagdadala siya ng catalog, bibigay nya dun kay Sponsor para makapili siya. Siya na bahala mag-arrange.”

As for Sponsor, Brian said they lost touch soon after. He started avoiding the Sponsor and wouldn’t answer his calls until he stopped calling altogether.

The club itself has gained notoriety over the years and has become something of an open secret for those in the know. It closed down after a few years but had since reportedly found a new home at a condominium unit elsewhere in the city. We can’t say for certain if the new version of the club still exists to this day, but we’ll keep our eyes and ears peeled.

*names have been changed