Miss World Philippines Says Only Three Vietnamese Judges Sat on the Panel. Fans Are Still Asking Questions.
Miss World Philippines has issued a clarificatory statement on September 12 addressing accusations of judging bias at the Miss World 2026 coronation night, where the country’s Asia Rose Simpson lost the lone Asia and Oceania slot in the Top 6 to host delegate Lê Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc of Vietnam. The statement, signed by national director Arnold Vegafria, responds to a narrower claim than the Top 6 result itself — one that had spread online in the days after the September 5 finale: that Vietnamese judges outnumbered what fans believed was appropriate for a coronation night held on Vietnamese soil. After what the organization describes as “a more thorough review,” Vegafria confirmed three Vietnamese nationals sat on the judging panel — Cao Thi Hoan, CEO of Shinhan Beauty Center; Hà Kiều Anh, Miss World Vietnam 1992; and Phạm Kim Dung, national director of Miss World Vietnam. Fan accounts had circulated video clips appearing to show Phạm — in her capacity as a sitting judge — visibly cheering for Bảo Ngọc during the broadcast, a detail that …
