Colombian apologizes for burning Pia doll

MANILA, Philippines - The Colombian Facebook user who posted a video of a burning doll of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach has apologized after receiving criticism online over the incident.

Facebook user Noider Almanza Barraza, who hails from Barranquilla, Colombia, said it was not his intention to offend anyone when he posted the video, which supposedly happened during the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Writing in Spanish, Barraza said it is a tradition in their country to burn dolls that represent controversies in order to leave it behind in the past year.

He said he was not the only one who burned similar dolls, and that he has deleted the post.

Many supporters of Wurtzbach interpreted the act as similar to the burning of effigies in the Philippines, which usually happens during protest actions.

The video had a caption written in Spanish and loosely translated as, “Burning Ms. Philippines and Ms. Universe presenter last year 2015.”

A smaller doll, supposedly depicting Miss Universe presenter Steve Harvey, was also burned alongside Wurtzbach’s.

During the pageant held in Las Vegas on Dec. 20, Harvey mistakenly announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as Miss Universe. He later went up the stage and apologized for the wrong announcement before naming Wurtzbach as the real winner.

But Colombians did not take the mistake lightly.

Following the release of the video, Filipino netizens expressed outrage and urged Colombians to move on from the incident.