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The Philippines’ past Miss Universe winners gave their thoughts on how the country’s bet Maxine Medina fared in the main competition on Monday.

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran and Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz were all present for the afterparty held at Okada Manila Monday night, hours after the coronation at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Wurtzbach admitted that Medina was under a lot of pressure to ensure a back-to-back win for the Philippines.

Medina made it to the top six, but fell out of the top three after the question and answer portion.

LOOK: Pia Wurtzbach hugs Maxine Medina after Miss Universe tilt 

“Hinanap ko siya agad (I looked for her). I know how the girl worked hard for months leading up to the competition. I felt for her, because she was really under a lot of pressure. She was really worrying about making everybody proud,” Wurtzbach said.
Wurtzbach, who turned over the Miss Universe crown to Iris Mittenaere of France, said she felt for Maxine because she had also been in the same situation.

READ: Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere: About time France has a queen 

“I’ve known Maxine for years, she’s like a little sister to me. Alam mo yun. Hinanap ko siya, alam ko yung tumatakbo sa isip niya. I’ve been through that before,” Wurtzbach said.

Wurtzbach said she congratulated Medina after the competition and assured her of a positive side in the event – at least she would not have a viral video of her making a mess at the question and answer portion.

Wurtzbach said Medina had confided in her that her worst fear was bungling the question and answer portion and get bashed for it.

READ: Medina in Q & A: We are one as nation 

“She was actually okay. She wasn’t crying. I hugged her, I congratulated her. And sabi ko sa kaniya, maganda dito, walang kakalat na video sa YouTube na nagkamali ka sa Q and A. Yun ang pinaka-ina-alala niya,” Wurtzbach said.

“Na parang, ‘Pia, baka ma-bash ako. Sabi ko, ‘wala nang mambabash sa’yo, kasi hindi ka nagkamali,” she added.

Wurtzbach said it would be speculative to assume Maxine could have fared better if she had answered in Tagalog.

“If we review the tape over and over, it’s not really accurate, because the judges will base on the scores, on first impression. They don’t repeat the tape over and over, ‘wait a minute, she didn’t really answer, wait a minute, mali yung grammar niya.’ No,” Wurtzbach said.

“It’s how you feel at the moment. She did answer it right. For me, she did very well,” Wurtzbach added.

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READ: Despite Miss Universe loss, Filipinos unite for Maxine Medina 

For her part, Margie Moran said she noticed that Maxine looked frightened, especially during the question and answer portion.

“You can see that she was scared. You could feel it,” Moran said.

Moran said Medina’s fault was answering in English even though she had an interpreter on standby who translated the question in Tagalog.

“For me, her fault was she didn’t answer in Tagalog. Because she had an interpreter. She should have answered na lang using the interpreter, using her own language,” Moran said.

READ: No back-to-back for Philippines in Miss Universe

The ever witty Gloria Diaz said maybe Maxine could have fared better had she spoken in French – just like Miss France Iris Mittenaere who won the most coveted crown.

“She didn’t lack anything. Maybe she should have spoken French – no, I’m teasing!” Diaz said, laughing.

Kidding aside, Diaz said she initially thought Maxine should have answered in Tagalog – and then realized the question was actually quite a difficult one.

During the question and answer portion ahead of the top three, Medina was asked about a significant event for her in the past decade.

There was a disadvantage that Maxine had to be called first in that round for the question and answer, according to Diaz, who once urged Medina to get an interpreter.

READ: Gloria Diaz urges Maxine Medina: Get an interpreter 

She said that in the end, winning the Miss Universe crown is more than just beauty and brains – it’s destiny.

“I’ve always said a hundred times. Winning the Miss Universe does not make you the most beautiful, it doesn’t mean you’re the smartest. It just means you’re the luckiest. True?” Diaz said.

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