Beauty pageant guru Jonas Gaffud has said that Miss Philippines Maxine Medina failed to win the 65th Miss Universe beauty pageant due to “Filipino pressure.”
“Ang sabi ni Maxine (Medina) sa akin after, kung hindi lang sa Pilipinas (nangyari ang Miss Universe), mas kaya niya sigurong lumaban. Nahirapan talaga siya sa pressure,” Gaffud said, in a video posted on ABS-CBN News recently.
“Iba ang mga pressure ng Pinoy, hindi ba? So kailangan perfect ka lagi. Nahirapan talaga si Maxine,” said Gaffud.
Gaffud, head of the Aces and Queens beauty camp, is the trainer of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, Miss International 2016 Kylie Versoza and 2013 Miss World Megan Lynne Young, the first Miss World titleholder from the Philippines.
But Gaffud said that he would always be proud of Medina who finished in the Top 6 of the competition.
“I will always be proud of you @maxine_medina. Thank you for being a great host delegate,” the mentor said on Instagram.
Gaffud also thanked Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach for comforting Medina during the pageant.
“Thank you so much @piawurtzbach for the gesture of comforting @maxine_medina,” the beauty queen maker also said on IG.
Medina entered the Top 13 semifinalists during the 65th Miss Universe contest. She failed to make the Top 3 after the question round.
The beauty queen from Quezon City has called on the public to move on from the Miss Universe 2016 contest.
Since 2010, the Philippines has consistently been in the Top 10 of the prestigious beauty pageant.
The Philippines has already produced three Miss Universe – Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973) and Wurtzbach (2015).