Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach reaches out for peace with Latino community

Pia Wurtzbach became the first Filipina to win the Miss Universe crown in 40 years.

And one of the statuesque 26-year-old's first goal as Miss Universe should be a familiar one for beauty queen: world peace.

Moments after winning the title in a tense pageant marred by a mix-up in the announcement of the winner, Wurtzbach reached out to members of the Latino community hoping to heal a rift opened up by the evening's event.

"I hope that I did not upset anybody like the Latino community, especially the fans of Miss Colombia," said Wurtzbach.

"I'm the voice of Miss Universe now, so I'd like to send my apologies for any confusion that happened," she added.

Host Steve Harvey incorrectly announced that Miss Colombia had won the 64th edition of the contest, broadcast live on the Fox television network.

Wurtzbach, a Filipino-German actress and model born in Stuttgart and raised in Cagayan de Oro, was initially runner-up.

But then Harvey announced to the audience that he had made a gaffe.

Ariadna Gutierrez Arévalo, 21, of Sincelejo, Colombia, had already been crowned by Miss Universe of 2014, Paulina Vega of Barranquilla, Colombia, who was forced to remove the crown and give it to Miss Philippines. Olivia Jordan, 27, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, finished third.

"I'd like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines for my huge mistake," Harvey said on Twitter. "I feel terrible."

Colombia's statement

Arévalo, surrounded by her fellow candidates, responded to the announcement blunder in a video posted in the official Facebook account of the pageant.

In the video, she thanked her fans for the support and stated that she is happy about the results, adding, "Everything happens for a reason."

The friends she made in the pageant wrapped her in an embrace and expressed love for her after she delivered her statement.

But Colombian fans in attendance weren't quite as gracious.

"It's a joke," a Colombian spectator told GMA News stringer Marvin Tomandao.

A Filipino fan also said that some Colombians tried to take the Philippine flag while waving it in celebration.

"Nagkagulo na. The Colombians, they don't want to accept the fact that Miss Philippines was actually Miss Universe. Winawagayway ko ang Philippine flag and they were like taking it away from me," he said.

German controversy

Hours after the pageant, beauty pageant blog Missosology shared a video on their Facebook page showing pageant host Natalia Cruz interviewing a candidate identified as Miss Germany Sarah-Lorraine Riek. Miss Germany sympathized with Miss Colombia and claimed that Wurtzbach did not get the other candidates' vote.

Miss Germany was asked to explain why they rushed to Miss Colombia instead of congratulating Miss Philippines and she responded, "Because none of us vote[d] for Miss Philippines, I am so sorry to say that."

"I really couldn't believe it, I was so upset. For me (she was robbed) as the real winner. I was very happy for Miss Colombia because she really deserved it. I'm really not happy with the result and so are the other girls, I'm sorry to say it," she told Cruz.

Pageant judge Niecy Nash revealed that the other jurors, which also included football legend Emmitt Smith, beauty queens Olivia Culpo, blogger Perez Hilton, went for Wurtzbach.

Support from colleagues

But while there may be hostility from her fellow contestants, there was nothing but love for Wurtzbach from her fellow Filipina beauty queens.

The country's last Miss Universe before Wurtzbach, Margarita Moran, said the Philippines' bet was also shortchanged by what happened.

"It robbed her from the glory of that moment, of the excitement and waiting to be called Miss Universe and hearing the rejoice of all the Pinoys watching," said Moran.

"I also pity Ms. Colombia because she thought she was gonna win. And you know the Colombians are as passionate as the Filipinos when it comes to beauty contests," Moran added.

Miss Universe 1999 runner-up Miriam Quiambao said Wurtzbach's victory was a tribute to her persistence.

"I think this is her third time to try. It shows that persistence pays off. I saw it in her," said Quiambao.

Amid the controversy, Wurtzbach displayed the same poise she exhibited in answering the questions during the pageant — answers that ultimately made her only the third Filipina Miss Universe after Gloria Diaz in 1969 and Moran in 1973.

She addressed the controversy head on, sending a message to fans of Miss Colombia.

"I hope this does not affect your relationship with Miss Universe and of course your relationship with the Filipino community as well," she said. —JST, GMA News with a report from Reuters