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MICHELLE, UMAMING MAY NATUKLASAN SA MISS U PHILS., NO SHOW SA PICTORIAL NG WINNERS

ni Vinia Vivar - @Frankly Speaking | November 4, 2020

Finally ay nagbigay na rin ng kan­yang pahayag si Miss Universe Philippines 2020 2nd runner-up Michele Gumabao hing­gil sa pinag­pi­pis­tahang controversy nga­yon tungkol sa nasabing pageant.

Sa 24-minute video ni Michele uploaded in MG TV sa YouTube na may titulong This is my statement, this is my story! last Monday (Nov. 2), sinabi ng beauty queen na nagsasalita siya ngayon para sa kanyang sarili base sa kanyang karanasan.

Sa caption pa lang ay ipinahayag na ni Michele na marami siyang narinig at na-witness bilang kandidata at akala namin ay ibubunyag niya ang mga nakita’t narinig na ito sa kanyang video.

“I heard things I never should have heard, witnessed things I never should have witnessed as a candida te. I’ve been so used to empowering others and speaking up for others but at a time when I want to fight and speak up for myself I am not allowed. This is the first time in my life I feel so powerless.

“People have been asking me why I left, before leaving I expressed my feelings and told my reasons to the organization and they understood. I congratulated our winner and after that, I thought I could go home to my family, have some time to rest and be by myself and everything would be okay.

“When everyone online started making stories, thinking they know me, thinking they know what really happened, what saddens me the most is that those who knew the reason why I left, could have spoken up about it. I am speaking up now and defending myself because I know no one will. This is my statement, this is my story, this is my message for all of you,” ang caption ni Michele.

Sinimulan ni Michele ang kuwento sa naging hirap niya sa preparasyon sa pageant – ang kanyang mga challenges, struggles, to the point na nag-collapse pa siya sa sobrang pagod.

“I cut my head, I sprained my knee, I broke my toe. It was all very challenging because as a beauty queen, you have to walk in high heels, you have to look your best, your face has to be presentable at all times,” aniya.

Hanggang sa dumating na ang kuwento ni Michele sa final night kung saan ay nagka­roon na silang mga kandidata ng time na magsama-sama at mag-bonding.

Pero noong madaling-araw ng Oct. 25, dito na raw siya may nalaman.

“Early in the morning of the 25th at around 3 AM, I heard things that I wasn’t supposed to hear and it hurt, I must admit. I went back to my room and I cried so hard,” kuwento niya.

She added, “I just got out and went to my room and wanted to be by myself and all these questions just came back to my head. Everything that I’ve been hearing for the past 2 days just came crashing in my head and I was heartbroken. I was devastated that night and I called my family and I wanted to go home. My car was waiting outside and I could have gone home but they told me to think about it, that whatever I decide, they’re supporting me 100% and they told me to pray.”

Sinunod niya ang payo ng pamilya and stayed hanggang sa airing ng coronation night on Oct. 25 (pre-taped ang coronation night from Oct. 23 to Oct. 24). That time ay gustung-gusto na raw niyang umalis at marami raw siyang tanong matapos ang mga nala­man these past few days.

Bagama’t pinipigi­lan pa siyang umalis ay hindi na raw niya na­kaya talaga and finally left. That was why, wala siya sa press conference held shortly after.

Isa sa matinding di­namdam ni Michele ay ang mga bashings na natanggap at pinili raw niyang huwag magsalita o sagutin ang mga ito.

“I never answered bashers online because I respect people’s opinion and right now, I hope that they respect mine because this is my story, this is my experience, and I really want to tell everybody that I’m not alone in this.

“There are a lot of us that wished things happened differently, that our journey would have been somehow better, but we do understand the conditions of the pandemic and we do understand the hardships that everybody had to go through and the adjustments that everybody had to make just to make this possible,” she said.

Ayon pa kay Michele, sana raw ay hindi na lang niya narinig ang mga narinig na hindi naman niya sinabi kung ano ba ‘yun.

In the end ay sinabi niyang ito na raw ang una’t huli niyang pagsasalita at hindi na siya mag-e-entertain pa ng kahit ano’ng tanong or interviews after this.

But the thing is, sa hinaba-haba ng kanyang sinabi ay wala naman talaga siyang sinabi. Hindi naman niya nalinaw kung totoo bang may dayaan sa Miss Universe Phils. 2020 tulad ng mga kumakalat. Pinalala’t pinagulo lang niya lalo dahil ang dami na namang maglalaro sa isip ng tao kung ano ba talaga ang nakita at narinig niya.