As a self-confessed beauty pageant fan, I squirm every time a contestant messes up her answer to the final question.
We all expect our beauty queens to be intelligent, eloquent and outspoken. After all, beauty is not skin-deep, or so I think.
So I don’t understand why there is so much controversy over Miss Philippines-International Mariel De Leon’s recent comment expressing her disappointment over the naming of blogger Mocha Uson as Assistant Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).
She was expressing a personal opinion.
I, myself, expressed reservations on Uson’s appointment because I felt that as a private citizen, she already has done a tremendous job defending the Duterte administration. I believe that the last thing PCOO needed at this time was someone who would just be preaching to the choir — her millions of followers.
Would De Leon’s comments be any less controversial if she expressed her support for women’s right to choose considering that many Filipinos are against abortion and reproductive health?
Our world as Filipinos cannot just revolve around our support for our President Duterte. He himself encourages all to express their opinion even if it goes against his. He understands our constitutional right to freedom of speech, and so must we.
Let’s move on, and wish De Leon success as she represents our country in the international pageant.