Pia Wurtzbach: No such thing as beauty pageant jinx

MANILA, Philippines — There are rumors in social media that Miss Philippines Rachel Peters only reached top 10 at the 2017 Miss Universe pageant because Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach from the Philippines was a judge.

This also reportedly happened to Philippines’ Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa during the Miss Universe pageant in 2015. MJ was Miss Universe Philippines 2014. Like Peters, Lastimosa also allegedly did not advance from the top 10 as Filipino boxing champ Manny Pacquiao was in the judges’ panel.

Before Miss Universe, netizens have observed another pattern: Mariel de Leon, Philippines’ representative for Miss International 2017, was unplaced because the reigning country then was Philippines, as represented by Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa.

According to pageant observers, once the Philippines wins in Miss International, the following year, as the reigning country, the nation’s bet will be “unplaced” in the pageant.

For Wurtzbach, superstitions like these have no solid basis.

“I don’t think so. I don’t think that they would allow you to join if you’re already destined to not get the crown. I don’t think pageants would do that. That’s not really fair. And I don’t think there’s a curse either or there’s a jinx,” Pia told Philstar.com in a recent interview during her launch as endorser of mineral water brand Aquafina.

For Pia, nobody and nothing should be blamed whenever Miss Philippines loses.

“I think it just so happened that you know, we haven’t seen a back-to-back yet at Miss Universe. But I don’t think that it has anything to do with the competition or the judges or the girl, our representative,” Pia further explained.