There’s no need to mix the Miss Universe pageant with politics.
This is Department of Tourism undersecretary Kat De Castro’s response to the online petition urging the Miss Universe Organization not to hold the pegeant in the Philippines next year.
READ: Pia asks fans to keep calm despite ‘No Miss Universe in PH’ online petition
In an interview with GMA News TV’s Balitanghali, De Castro said she wants to keep the politics out of the Miss Universe pageant.
“We just want to keep the politics side of it all outside of the event,” she said.
The petitioners — which was signed by various women’s group leaders such as Miss International 1970 Aurora Pijuan and former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Etta Rosales — cited that holding the pageant in the country would serve as reward to the “intolerable behavior” of President Rodrigo Duterte.
But De Castro said they would rather focus on positives of holding 65th Miss Universe in the country.
“We would like to concentrate on the happiness and, at the same time, the increase in tourist arrivals that this event would bring.”
The Department of Tourism described the event as a “golden opportunity” in its official statement about the petition.
Part of the statement reads: “Needless to say, this is such a special and proud occasion where we are presented with the golden opportunity to host the event in which the reigning Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of Cagayan de Oro City would pass on the Crown to her successor.”
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Former beauty queen Miriam Quiambao agrees. During the Ariel Wash Your Fears Summit on Tue, Oct 11, the 1999 Miss Universe first runner-up said that holding the pageant in the country “will do a lot more good for this country because it will bring in a lot of tourism.”
“We can also use it as campaign for empowerment of women,” she added.
The petition comes after rumors sparked earlier this month that the event would no longer push through in the country.
The latest rumor came courtesy of an Philippine Daily Inquirer article published Fri, Oct 7. According to the report, there is talk that WME/IMG, Miss Universe’s mother company, has cancelled plans to hold the pageant in the Philippines.
The Inquirer report noted: “Is it also true that the co-CEO and owner of WME/IMG, Ari Emanuel, who happens to be Jewish, was offended by President Duterte’s controversial remarks and referencing Hitler and his “Go to hell” comments directed at US President Barack Obama?”
READ: No truth to Miss U cancellation rumors! PH still hosting pageant in 2017, says DOT
But both Pia and the Department of Tourism have reiterated several times the past few days that the pageant will be held in the Philippines. Wurtzbach also addressed the said Inquirer report via a Facebook post. She then asked fans to wait for the official announcement.
“Ako’ng bahala guys. Kalma lang. Ipaglalaban ko yan. I want the competition in my home country!” she said in a tweet on Tue, Oct 11.
(Let me handle this, guys. Just keep calm. I will fight for it. I want the competition in my home country.)
One thing’s for sure — all this drama is making the upcoming Miss Universe even more exciting!
