Brandon Espiritu Admits Mistake After Viral Backlash
BRANDON ESPIRITU – Mister Supranational Philippines 2024 Brandon Espiritu has admitted that his viral “halfies” comment was a mistake, as he reflects on the backlash while spending time in Osaka, Japan.
Brandon Espiritu has opened up about the controversy surrounding his widely criticized “halfies” remark, admitting that his comment was arrogant and acknowledging the mistake he made.
Espiritu is currently in Osaka, Japan, where he traveled with his mother to celebrate her birthday. However, he also revealed that the trip served as an opportunity to step away from the intense public backlash he received online following his controversial social media comment.
The issue began when fellow male pageant titleholder Jether Palomo attended a birthday celebration with friends from different parts of the world. During the gathering, attendees were reportedly asked to sing in their respective native languages. After photos and videos from the event were shared online, Palomo commented, “I pledge allegiance to the flag (US),” which quickly attracted attention from netizens.
Espiritu then responded with “raise that flag brother.”
A netizen questioned why none of those present sang in Tagalog, despite some representing the Philippines. Espiritu replied, “because we aren’t from the Philippines. Why would we lie.”
When another user commented that they should have represented their own country instead, Espiritu answered, “Tell that to all the front runners for the Philippines. This country wouldn’t have a chance on the national stage without us halfies.”
The statement sparked widespread criticism from netizens and public figures alike, with many expressing disappointment and questioning the implications of his words. In response, Espiritu issued a public apology and later deactivated his social media accounts amid the continuing backlash.
On June 21, Espiritu was interviewed by content creator Eren Wayne Jr. during one of his “man-on-the-street” interviews in Osaka. During the conversation, Espiritu candidly discussed the controversy and the impact it had on him.
“Actually, I came here, to be honest with you, I’ll be real. I do a lot of content too. I was doing lifestyle, fitness, wellness content for, like, ten years.”
“And I also own businesses in Manila and all these stuff, like wellness club, café, and bar, and then a beach club.”
“But I went through some public backlash, like, last week when I dropped a comment on Instagram.”
“And it wasn’t supposed to be ill-intent but it just blew up and I was, like. so infamous for, like, two weeks online… like crazy backlash so I deactivated my stuff,” he said.
Reflecting on the controversy, Espiritu admitted, “It was an arrogant comment. I should have not dropped that and I do respect my country, my people…”
“I definitely see where I went wrong but yeah man, I gotta take a break,” he added.
Meanwhile, Eren Wayne Jr. expressed sympathy for Espiritu and commended him for taking responsibility for his actions.
“The coolest thing about him, was to take his time to apologize to whatever wrong things he said about Filipinos,” he said.
“He recognized his mistake, also mature enough to take this opportunity to send a positive message. The lesson on this video is, we never know what people is passing through.”
“So let’s kind and respectful, we are all working on ourself and doing our best. Was nice to meet you espiritubrandon hope see you back go social media soon! Great to talk to you!” he added.
As the controversy gradually settles, Espiritu’s admission of fault and decision to take a break highlight the personal toll that public criticism can have, while also underscoring the importance of accountability in the age of social media.
READ ALSO: Brandon Espiritu Suddenly Disappears From Instagram After Controversial ‘Halfie’ Remarks