MJ Lastimosa urges to Pinoys to leave pageant issues behind

Miss Universe – Philippines 2015 MJ Lastimosa (Facebook photo)

MANILA – Amidst all the controversy generated by the failure of Ms. Philippines Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa to make in into the Top 5 finalists of the Miss Universe beauty pageant, the beauty queen has urged Filipinos to stop the blame game and move on from the issue.

During an interview on the morning talk show, “Umagang Kay Ganda,” Lastimosa said: “”Kung ano ang napanood nila yun na lang and let’s leave it that way. Kasi kapag nag-dwell pa tayo sa mga kung anu-anong stories na nadidinig natin, it’s not even gonna help us (Whatever they watched is what it is and let’s leave it that way. Because if we dwell on whatever stories we hear, it’s not even gonna help us),” Lastimosa said.

The Filipino-Spanish-Arabian beauty from Cotabato came back to Manila on Thursday morning.

Much of the hullabaloo over Lastimosa’s failure to enter the Top 5 stemmed from the gown which she wore. Designed by a Colombian, the national costume-inspired gown was deemed ugly by scores of netizens, who expressed their anger on social media.

Hundreds of people blamed Binibining Pilipinas pageant head Stella Marquez-Araneta for choosing a Colombian-born designer over a Filipino one to execute Lastimosa’s gown.