Hindi nagustuhan ng aktres at Quezon City councilor na si Aiko Melendez ang post ng isang online publication sa kanilang Instagram account tungkol kay Miss Philippines Universe 2022 Celeste Cortesi.
Tila binudburan pa raw kasi ng asin ang sugat na nararamdaman ng pambato ng Pilipinas sa 71st Miss Universe dahil sa pagkabigo nitong makapasok sa Top 16 semifinalists.
Ginanap ang grand coronation ng Miss Universe 2022 sa New Orleans Memorial Convention Center sa New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Sabado ng gabi, January 14, 2023 (Linggo ng umaga, January 15, 2023, sa Pilipinas).
Una, binati muna ni Aiko si Celeste sa determinasyon nitong maibandera ang bandila ng Pilipinas sa Miss Universe.
Mensahe ang actress-politician para sa Filipino-Italian beauty queen (published as is): “Una, gusto ko lang pong palakpakan ang ating kandidata, Celeste Cortesi, sa napakagandang performance na binigay nya representing our beautiful country in the 71st Miss Universe Beauty Pageant.
“Dear Celeste, you represented well and you deserve a bigger love not just from me but from all of your countrymen as well. Bravo! Napakaganda mo at napahusay ng performance na pinakita mo.”
Kasunod nito ay pinuna ni Aiko ang Instagram post ng isang publication na tumawag sa kabiguan ni Celeste na “end of an era.”
Aniya: “Pangalawa, this news item posting by the PDI on Instagram is very much uncalled for and it doesn’t sit right on my tongue. ‘End Of An Era’, is what the publisher called the fortune of Celeste not to have made it into the semi-finals.
“Do we really need to kick a woman down and rub salt to her wound. Para kasing sinasabi na ‘malas’ si Ms. Cortesi, at least that’s how it got to me.”
Pakiusap pa niya, “Huwag naman po ganyan. She went to the pageant as a proud delegate from the Philippines and we rallied behind her bearing the name of our country across her chest. Hindi po porket hindi pinalad, we will be this harsh to crush her already wounded spirit.”
Pang-eengganyo ni Aiko sa lahat, “Let us show Ms. Cortesi the same love we showered her when she left for the competition and embrace her efforts representing, not just herself, but also our nation, in this heavy weight beauty competition.
“She did well and she deserves a good pat on the back.”
Mensahe niya muli kay Celeste: “Mabuhay ka, Ms. Philippines Celeste Cortesi!
“You did well. Stand proud and come home bearing that beautiful smile on your face. Don’t let anyone take that smile away from you.”
Hindi maaalis na malungkot ang maraming Pinoy pageant fans na natapos na ang 12-year winning placement ng bansa sa Miss Universe.
Mula 2010 hanggang 2022, laging pasok ang Pilipinas sa Top 20 at nagkaroon pa tayo ng dalawang Miss Universe winners: sina Pia Wurtzbach noong 2015 at Catriona Gray noong 2018.
Noong 2010, pumasok si Venus Raj sa Top 5 at hinirang na 4th runner-up. Third runner-up naman si Shamcey Supsup noong 2011.
Muntik masungkit ni Janine Tugonon ang korona noong 2012 nang hirangin siyang 1st runner-up.
Third runner-up si Ariella Arida noong 2013, at naging bahagi ng Top 10 si MJ Lastimosa noong 2014.
Top 6 si Maxine Medina noong 2016, habang pasok sa Top 10 si Rachel Peters noong 2017.
Umabot sa Top 20 si Gazini Ganados noong 2019 at si Rabiya Mateo noong 2020.
Si Beatrice Luigi Gomez ay umabot sa Top 5 sa Miss Universe 2021.