Binibining Pilipinas-Grand International Samantha Lo poses with the Philippine flag in an October 9 Instagram post, prior to her scheduled arrival in Venezuela. Instagram: @ samantha_ashley_lo

Samantha Lo, the Philippines’ representative to Miss Grand International, was unable to go to Venezuela, where the pageant will be held, due to issues involving her passport, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has confirmed.

In a statement sent to ABS-CBN News on Friday, the DFA said it received reports that Lo “was unable to continue her journey to Caracas due to alleged issues with her passport.”

“Based on an ongoing investigation, the DFA confirms that Ms. Lo has no record in the DFA passport database and is continuing the process of ascertaining the facts of the case,” it added.

Early this week, pageant fans noticed Lo’s absence from pre-pageant activities in Caracas, prompting speculation as to whether she was still an official candidate.

On Wednesday, Venezuelan jeweler George Wittels, the pageant’s crown maker, said Lo was in transit to the South American country.

She, however, was unable to board her flight from Paris to Venezuela, Wittels told fans via Instagram.

Going by her most recent Instagram update, Lo had been expecting to join Miss Grand International without a hitch, as she posed with the Philippine flag in a photo captioned, “See you soon, Venezuela!” — With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News