Ariella Arida: Hindi ang pagiging openly gay ang nagpanalo kay Bea Luigi Gomez

Si Ariella Arida ang 3rd runner-up sa Miss Universe 2013 na ginanap sa Moscow, Russia noong November 9, 2013.

Dahil sa karanasan niya, tinanong kay Ariella ang tsansa ni Beatrice Luigi Gomez sa 70th Miss Universe na idaraos sa December 2021 sa Eilat, Israel.

Openly gay si Bea, pero naniniwala si Ariella na walang kinalaman ang sexual orientation ng newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines sa tagumpay o panalo nito noong September 30, 2021.

“First of all, I have nothing against her being openly gay.

“I would say, maybe it’s not the reason why siya yung nanalo, it’s her performance during that night.

“I would say na talagang with the ramp and the way she presented herself, kanya talaga yung gabing ‘yon.

“And then, sumagot din siya nang maayos sa Q&A [question and answer].

“Kumbaga, from all those rounds, talagang check siya. Siguro talagang nasa top siya ng judges.

“And it so happened, openly gay siya,” pahayag ni Ariella sa virtual presscon ng Sarap Mong Patayin ngayong Martes ng hapon, October 12.

Sinabi ni Ariella na sigurado siyang mapapansin si Bea sa 70th Miss Universe kung pagbabasehan ang naging performance ng 26-year-old beauty queen sa Miss Universe Philippines 2021.

“Miss Universe is very open. They’ve been really celebrating any gender right now.

“Sabi ko nga, every time tatanungin ako, sa atin panahon lang yung hinihintay, but we will get there.

“And now na nga is the time dahil Bea will be the one representing our country.

“We all know that she’s really loud and proud with her sexuality, and I don’t see na magiging factor yun about her performance internationally, especially sa Miss Universe.

“Dahil nga, sa Miss Universe, very open and very understanding as an organization.”

Patuloy ni Ariella, “With her performance, if she would do kagaya nang ginawa niya noong finals night, for sure, mapapansin talaga ‘yan sa Miss Universe…

“I like the way how she would answer questions. Very chill siya.

“Makikita mo yung humility and yung personality niya. The way she answers and basta ituluy-tuloy lang niya until the finals.

“I know two months na lang yung preparation, and kayang-kaya niya because of the team behind her is very prepared na. They know what they would do for her.”

Medyo napaisip si Ariella sa sumunod na tanong na narinig niya: May kakilala ba siyang lesbian but closeted beauty queen? “

“Ah, may kakilala ba ako…? Ah napaisip… hahaha!

“Not the closet type. Parang alam naman ng mga tao rin, something like that,” makahulugang sagot niya.