The newly crowned Philippine Miss Universe 2018, Catriona Magnayon Gray, has met with her homeland's president Rodrigo Duterte, who personally congratulated her on winning the prestigious pageant.
He noted that Gray's path to victory was similar to that of legendary Philippine boxer Manny Pacquiao, who is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time by several rankings. Duterte added that like Pacquiao, Gray had been robustly supported by her fellow citizens on her way to major success.
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According to PhilStar media, citing an anonymous source, the meeting between Miss Universe 2018 and the Philippine president was "very jovial" and "really all banter".
"The president threw in some jokes, which Gray also just played along with. They even almost did not notice the time", the source said.