Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo and her boyfriend, Neil Salvacion. Instagram: @neilow
The Long-time boyfriend of reigning Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo, Neil Salvacion, has finally broken his silence, admitting that they have broken up amid persistent rumors about their relationship.
In an Instagram story, Salvacion revealed that he and Mateo are not together anymore.
“The real thing is, we’re not together anymore, but we’re both okay, moving forward, we talked and we’re both happy with our own lives,” he said.
This came after Mateo admitted in an interview with Boy Abunda that she is in a "complicated situation" with Salvacion, adding that she hopes to resolve it when she returns home.
Netizens also noticed that they are not following each other anymore on Instagram which further intensified rumors.
Salvacion also lamented how people spread rumors without knowing the real story.
He also defended himself and Rabiya since the issue surfaced on social media.
“We don’t deserve all the negativities manifested towards us, especially towards Rab, she worked hard to achieve whatever she has right now, and she (deserves) it all,” Salvacion continued.
“It’s NEVER okay to degrade a person just to prove a point, I mean, if you have nothing good to say, It’s better to keep it within yourself,” he added.
“It doesn’t cost a cent to be kind guys, let’s spread kindness and be respectful towards each other, may it be through thoughts, words or deeds,” Salvacion concluded.
The Filipina beauty queen is still in the United States, weeks after finishing in the Top 21 of the 69th Miss Universe pageant.
Rumors of the breakup came after fans noticed that Salvacion deleted all of his photos of and with Mateo on his Instagram page.
Around the same time, Mateo was spotted in the US with former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemate Andre Brouillette, fueling rumors of a budding romance.
The beauty queen later said that there is "no malice" in her photos with Brouillette, pointing out they only got to meet each other thrice.
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Rabiya Mateo, Neil Salvacion, beauty queens, celebrity couples, Miss Universe, Rabiya Mateo boyfriend