The Miss Independent of Isabela Karina Bautista likes declamation and extemporaneous speech. Perhaps, the best person to test her talent is the King of Talk himself, Boy Abunda. In an interview on TWBA, Karina shares her skills while eating calamansi and green chili. The talented young speaker impressively delivers her piece despite the spicy and sour tastes in her mouth.
Her moniker is rooted from Karina’s independent life as a teenager. Karina’s parents are both working as OFWs and she grew up in the care of her Lola Celeste, aunts and uncles. Unfortunately, they had conflict over money matters which forced Karina to leave their custody.
She lived in other relatives’ apartment for a year. Then, at thirteen years old, she has decided to stay in a boarding house all by her own. Karina admits getting scared all the time, yet she had to take courage in order to survive all the obstacles in life.
Karina’s father has a first family and a wife to whom he is legally married. This hindered her from using her father’s surname. She had too many questions when she was young but has eventually accepted the situation, as she grows older. She has already forgiven her parents’ inability to provide their presence, but Karina admits feeling sad at times. She still longs for her parents’ company especially when facing big challenges and events like contests and auditions. Yet, Karina had to remain strong despite everything; and this strength is also the same instrument that helped her endure all the controversies she has faced while inside the Big Brother House.
Karina has become controversial when she became close with housemate Aljon Mendoza. Aljon has been vocal about his feelings for Karina who slowly felt the same way, too. It was supposed to be just a cute teen loveteam but the pairing received criticisms since Karina has a boyfriend of four years outside the house.
Karina was uncertain of her feelings. However, she has chosen to face her emotional dilemma. Karina believed that the right thing to do was stop herself from getting closer with Aljon as respect for her now ex-boyfriend.
Despite standing up for the right, audience and netizens kept on throwing hurtful words at her. Some have even called her ‘malandi’. Karina admits getting hurt with the bashers’ accusations but she just chose to take the courage and say sorry again even if she had done it a million times already.
Karina adds that she didn’t plan what happened inside the Big Brother house. “If I had the choice, why would I choose something that would just eventually hurt me in the end”, she states.
Now that she has come out of the PBB house, Karina admits breaking up with her boyfriend. She clarifies that the split was mutual. She admits that her ex-boyfriend was hurt from what happened between her and Aljon; and it is one of the factors that ended their relationship.