Quezon City, Philippines – In most beauty pageants, the answer to the final question can often make or break even the most  beautiful of contestants. The 2014 Binibining Pilipinas (Miss Philippines) pageant held last weekend in Quezon City was no exception.

One finalist, in responding to a judge’s question: “Name one thing that you would sacrifice for a (Binibini) crown,” confidently answered: “I think one thing that I would sacrifice for Binibini crown is my shoes.  You know it’s very hard for me to find shoes because I have this very big shoe size.  But for Binibini I will sacrifice this precious thing that I have just to have the crown. Thank you.”  The rest, of course, is history for this aspiring beauty queen.

But the big controversy of the evening came from a complaint from one of the 15 finalists — Contestant No. 8, Pia Wurtzbach.  She happened to pick a senator, Juan Edgardo Angara, to ask the question which he did in Tagalog.  The other 14 finalists were asked their respective questions (and responded) in English.

Wurtzbach who was born in Stuttgart, Germany, didn’t win any of the crowns at stake for the night, and she attributed it to the fact that the senator had asked the question in the national language. “I’m glad that despite my German-sounding name, I proved to all that I am a true Filipina and that I can speak Tagalog quite fluently.”  “However,” she added,” it was not fair that all the other finalists were asked their questions in English.  I’m sure I could have done much better than all the other girls had I been asked the question, and responded, in English.”

Wurtzbach said she has engaged the services of an attorney to see if she could file a lawsuit against Senator Angara for discrimination.

Here is a transcript of the Q&A portion of the pageant.