Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo says she won the title ‘fair and square’

Newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo broke her silence to address the issues and ‘accusations’ about her winning the title over the weeked.

The beauty queen could not help but get emotional when she shared with TV5’s MJ Marfori that she did not expect to win the crown.

“To be honest po, maybe I wasn’t a frontrunner so people didn’t expect me to win. And now that I have the crown… I’m sorry, I’m being emotional,” she said.

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Mateo also stressed that she won because she gave her best and did not cheat during the competition.

“They’re questioning my capability as a person, as a candidate… But I know that I did everything and anything that I could during that night, and ibinigay ko talaga. And ‘yung mga nagsasabi na the question was given to me that’s why I answered that way, it wasn’t given po sa akin,” the Ilongga beauty shared.

“I did everything that I could because I want to make Iloilo City proud,” she added.

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While these accusations ‘hurt’ her feelings, Mateo said that she would choose to be a bigger person in the whole fiasco.

In another interview with ABS-CBN News, Mateo reiterated that while doubts about her win is normal, she clarified that she bagged the title ‘fair and square’.

“Dahil ako ang nanalo, baka ‘yung iba they have doubts about my capability, and hindi natin ‘yun maiiwasan. But I know that I played the game fair and square, and let’s just wait for the official announcement and statement of the Miss Universe Philippines [organization],” she said. 

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Mateo says she would just prove them wrong by focusing on her next competition and work hard to properly represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant.

Banner image from Miss Universe PH 2020 Instagram

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