TOKYO, Japan (The Adobo Chronicles, Tokyo Bureau) – It’s what most Filipinos were hoping for. A back-to-back win in the Miss International Beauty Pageant. A proud moment where outgoing title holder Kylie Verzosa would crown her successor, fellow Filipina Mariele de Leon.

The back-to-back happened last night. Verzosa crowned Miss Indonesia.

As for the very politically-outspoken de Leon? She was in the back of the pack, not a finalist, not a semi-finalist, no special award.

And oh, did she just re-design the country’s national costume? We can only imagine it was iron-heavy!