Miss Universe fourth place finisher Shamcey Supsup of the Philippines thinks winner Leila Lopes of Angola deserves the crown despite her own outstanding performance in the question and answer segment.

I think we should be happy also for Ms. Angola that she won, and I think that she also deserves the crown, Shamcey told ABS CBN.

We are not the judges there, and I accepted the fact that I'm third runner-up and I'm already happy, she said.

The Filipina beauty queen was responding to a brewing controversy over her fourth place finish; although most acknowledged that fourth place is already a cause for celebration, many thought she deserved to be first.

In particular, they thought Supsup outperformed Lopes in the question and answer segment.

Miss Angola's answer was incomplete and out of time. Miss Universe organization and the judges should be careful next time in choosing the winner, complained one commenter on the Shamcey Supsup Facebook page.

Miss Universe Organization has picked a wrong delegate. It should be Miss Philippines. Her answer was sharp & straight to the point, echoed another commenter.

The controversy even drew in Philippines Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who suspected the Miss Universe judges wanted a non-Asian winner for political reasons.

Sometimes you can't discount these possibilities, said the Senator.

Photo below from Reuters:

Angola