Catriona Gray says she's open to dialogue with Palace

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray said she is open to talks with Palace officials "to gain deeper understanding" of issues.

"I would love to be able to talk to them first hand and hear both sides or all the sides of the issue so I would gain a deeper understanding," Gray said in a report by Athena Imperial on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho."

"I am very much open to having conversations with you and learning more about the state of our nation. Also as a representative of the Philippines to the international stage, I always want to be up to date and know more where our leaders stand and their viewpoints on national issues," she added.

In an earlier interview, Gray expressed her views on lowering the age of criminal responsibility.

"I would rather that the efforts be refocused to why those children may be committing those crimes. Because working with kids, you know that when they're that young—when they're 11, 12, or nine years old—they're not developed in that way, cognitively, to make decisions knowing full well the consequences," she said.

Gray added, "So I would rather address the focus to what can we do to get the children out of those circumstances that they may be pressured in that way to do something."

Palace spokesperson Salvador Panelo retorted, saying Gray was misinformed and lacked education on the issue.

Senator Francis Pangilinan said Gray only expressed an "incisive and intelligent" view based on her exposure with children.  

On Friday, Gray paid a courtesy call on officials of the House of Representatives where she was given a copy of Resolution 178 commending her "beauty, outstanding brilliance and philanthropic advocacy." —LDF/KG, GMA News