Rabiya Mateo yesterday apologized to her fellow Miss Universe contestants and urged Pinoy fans to stop bullying them.
In a virtual media conference, Mateo appeared bothered by the complaint of Miss Canada Nova Stevens, who shared a few screenshots of the racist comments she had received from Filipino fans on social media.
Read: Canadian beauty queen calls out racist Filipino fans
“It makes me really sad. I saw the post of Nova earlier and I really feel sorry [for] her because nobody deserves to be in that position,” Mateo said.
Mateo said she had already apologized to Stevens and to Miss Thailand Amanda Obdam, whose fans have also been involved in a public feud with the Filipina beauty queen’s supporters. She also told her fans to be kind.
“I learned in this industry that people tend to be cruel. We should not normalize that aspect. When you see something is not right, you correct it. You have the power to do so. People are listening to you,” she said.
Read: What happens when a Filipino wins an international beauty pageant?
“That’s why I think this is also the best way for me to shine kindness and the spirit of being humble. So regardless of what type of competition we are in, I hope that the Filipinos will still be able to be respectful,” she added.
The 69th Miss Universe pageant will be held on May 16 in Florida.
