MANILA – Catriona Gray appreciates the fact that Pia Wurtzbach recently spoke out against those who are continuously pitting them against each other years after they both won the Miss Universe crown for the Philippines.

Gray emphasized there is “no issue between us as individuals or even between other queens.”

"It’s just really unfortunate that other people are craving issues and comparisons, and kind of putting us at war with each other when, in reality, there’s no such thing,” she said in an interview with PEP.

"And it would be nice for that kind of perceptions or conversations [to stop and just] celebrate each other."

While not in the most public of ways, Gray said all the beauty queens do celebrate, communicate with and support each other.

"I think it’s just unfortunate that there continues to be that false narrative of, ‘Oh, because she didn’t like this post or because she didn’t speak on this...’

"Or because of whatever reason that’s created, there’s this perception or this story or this narrative that they created that pits us against each other. And it’s completely false," she explained.

As for her message to those making up lies about them, Gray said: "I would encourage them to really ask themselves why they feel like the need to continue fueling negatively positioned commentaries. Because I don’t think that’s what pageantry is about. Pageantry is about celebrating and lifting up each other.”

Wurtzbach won the Miss Universe in 2005 while Gray grabbed the crown in 2018.

So far, the country only has four Miss Universe crowns, with the other two won by Margie Moran in 1973, and Gloria Diaz in 1969.