MANILA - Gloria Diaz stressed on Friday that she is not "undermining" Miss Universe Philippines Maxine Medina when she said that the latter has a "one in a million" chance of getting a back-to-back win for the country.

In an interview on ANC's "Headstart" hosted by Karen Davila, the Miss Universe 1969 winner noted that the only host delegate that won the pageant came from the United States.

"There is no way that I'm undermining her. People are criticizing her for her English... It got nothing to do with it. Buti nga mag-Tagalog siya, hindi ba? O English o Chavacano, I don't want to be taken out of context," she said.

"We are the host country. We are here to choose a winner, it will be so strange if our own girl will win," she explained.

Diaz went on to mention what she thinks are Medina's advantages in the Miss Universe pageant.

"Her strength, she's beautiful. Her skin is olive and even toned and she's graceful and she seems to be no matter what everybody says, kaya niya. Malakas ang loob and everything," she said.

The Philippines' first Miss Universe titleholder is also optimistic that Medina will be part of the Top 5.

"Maxine, you are as beautiful as my daughter," she said. "And siyempre, I think my daughter is a winner."