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Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach took to Twitter to congratulate Maxine Medina for her top-six finish during the 65th Miss Universe competition held at SM Mall of Asia Arena Monday.
Medina made it to the top six, but fell out of the top three after the question and answer portion.
READ: No back-to-back for Philippines in Miss Universe
Wurtzbach lamented the criticisms Medina still has to endure, calling on her critics to stop the bashing and not put the country’s candidate down.
“So proud of Maxine. She represented the Philippines so well. And guys, she wanted it just as much as you did. Let’s not bash our kababayan (countryman),” Wurtzbach said on Twitter.
So proud of Maxine. She represented the Philippines so well. And guys, she wanted it just as much as you did. Let’s not bash our kababayan.
— Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (@PiaWurtzbach) January 31, 2017
Wurtzbach then addressed Medina to keep her held up high and that she is her queen, with or without the crown. “Keep your head up, @maxinemedina Remember what I told you, you are a queen! Nobody can tell you otherwise. You earned it,” Wurtzbach tweeted.
Keep your head up, @maxinemedina ✨ Remember what I told you, you are a queen! Nobody can tell you otherwise. You earned it ✨ — Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (@PiaWurtzbach) January 31, 2017
At the sidelines of the afterparty at Okada Manila Monday night hours after coronation, Wurtzbach told reporters that Medina was put under a lot of pressure as host delegate to clinch a back-to-back win for the Philippines.
READ: Miss Universe queens assess Maxine’s performance
“Hinanap ko siya agad (I immediately 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.
LOOK: Pia Wurtzbach hugs Maxine Medina after Miss Universe tilt
Wurtzbach, who turned over her crown to the winning Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere, 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 (You know what I’m talking about? I looked for her, I knew what was going through her mind). I’ve been through that before,” Wurtzbach said.
Despite Miss Universe loss, Filipinos unite for Maxine Medina
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. Ang sabi ko sa kaniya, ang maganda dito, walang kakalat na video sa YouTube na nagkamali ka sa Q and A. ‘Yun ang pinaka-ina-alala niya (The bright side is that she won’t have a viral video on YouTube detailing how she made a mess during the question and answer. That was what she was most worried about),” Wurtzbach said.
“Na parang, ‘Pia, baka ma-bash ako. Sabi ko, ‘wala nang mambabash sa’yo, kasi hindi ka nagkamali (She was like, ‘Pia, I might get bashed. I told her ‘no one will bash you because you are not wrong’),” 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.(her grammar is faulty)’ No,” Wurtzbach said.
“It’s how you feel at the moment. She did answer it right. For me, she did very well,” she added. IDL
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