Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray paid a courtesy call to President Rodrigo Duterte a few days after she won the country’s fourth Miss Universe crown.
As seen in the photos shared by presidential spokesperson and chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, Gray met Duterte on December 20 at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City — only a few hours before the former boarded a flight bound for New York where the Miss Universe Organization is based.
The meeting lasted for an hour and the two just “exchanged pleasantries”, according to Panelo.
Panelo said that Duterte thanked the Filipino-Australian beauty queen for bringing home the crown and for making every Filipino proud.
Duterte also said that his partner, Honeylet Avanceña, wanted to meet Gray but she had to stay in Davao with their daughter Kitty Duterte.
Prior to the courtesy call, the Palace has already released a statement to congratulate and commend Gray.
“Ms. Gray truly made the entire Philippines proud when she sashayed on the global stage and showcased the genuine qualities defining a Filipina beauty: confidence, grace, intelligence and strength in the face of tough challenges.
“Ms. Gray’s triumph sets the bar high in empowering more Filipino women to believe in themselves and to fight for their own place in the universe. We salute and admire her victory,” the Palace said.
Gray is expected to have a grand homecoming in January or February next year.
