MANILA - Miss Universe Philippines organization national director Shamcey Supsup has broken her silence about the alleged technical issue that happened during the 2023 edition of the local pageant.

The Miss Universe Philippines 2023 was met with a shocking turn of events when it was announced that all 18 candidates will be walking in the long gown competition, even after revealing the Top 10.

It created a buzz on social media as pageant fans were baffled why the evening gown contest will also include the supposed eight eliminated hopefuls.

In a statement released on Friday, Supsup said that she checked on the figures after the results of the swimsuit round were turned over to them for record keeping purposes.

“As I carefully examined the figures, my attention was drawn to the highly improbable nature of the numbers. This gave rise to concerns that the integrity of the results may have been compromised,” she said.

The board, then, agreed to initiate a manual counting of the judges’ votes in order to ensure fairness and transparency.

In the end, it became evident to them that there were indeed discrepancies in the initial top 10 results.

“Thus, a decision was made to allow all 18 candidates to compete in the evening gown portion of the competition. Our primary objective as an organization is to promote integrity, transparency, and accountability in all aspects of the pageant. We believe in providing equal opportunities for all candidates and to do what is right no matter the consequences,” Supsup continued.

• Michelle Dee of Makati is new Miss Universe Philippines

The former Miss Universe 3rd runner up went on to express her appreciation to the public's understanding and their unwavering belief in the organization.

“Your trust means the world to us, and we are determined to honor that trust by continuing to navigate this situation with grace and integrity. Thank you for your continued support, and please know that we value your presence on this incredible journey,” she ended.

The 2023 edition of the pageant catapulted Michelle Dee to the crown after two attempts. She will be representing the Philippines at the Miss Universe in El Salvador.

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