Brandon Espiritu, nagsalita na ukol sa "halfies" remark habang nasa ibang bansa
- Brandon Espiritu admitted that his controversial “halfies” comment was arrogant and inappropriate
- The Mister Supranational Philippines 2024 titleholder said he deactivated his social media accounts after facing intense backlash
- Espiritu revealed that his trip to Osaka, Japan, also served as a break from the online criticism he received
- He reiterated his respect for Filipinos and acknowledged that he understood why many people were offended
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Mister Supranational Philippines 2024 Brandon Espiritu has addressed the controversy surrounding his remarks about “halfies,” admitting that the comment that drew widespread criticism was arrogant and inappropriate.
Source: Instagram
Espiritu is currently in Osaka, Japan, where he traveled with his mother to celebrate her birthday. During a recent interview, however, he revealed that the trip also gave him a chance to step away from the intense backlash he received online.
The controversy stemmed from a social media exchange involving fellow pageant titleholder Jether Palomo. After attending a birthday celebration with friends from different countries, Palomo commented:
“I pledge allegiance to the flag (US).”
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Espiritu later joined the conversation and wrote:
“raise that flag brother.”
When a netizen pointed out that some attendees had represented the Philippines but did not sing in Tagalog, Espiritu replied:
“because we aren't from the Philippines. Why would we lie.”
The discussion escalated after another user suggested they should represent their own countries instead.
Espiritu then responded, “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 remark quickly sparked criticism from netizens and public figures, prompting Espiritu to issue a public apology and eventually deactivate his social media accounts.
Speaking to content creator Eren Wayne Jr. in Osaka, Espiritu reflected on the incident and its impact on him.
“But I went through some public backlash, like, last week when I dropped a comment on Instagram,” he said.
“And it wasn’t supposed to be ill-intent but it just blew up... like crazy backlash so I deactivated my stuff.”
He then openly admitted his mistake.
“It was an arrogant comment. I should have not dropped that and I do respect my country, my people...”
Espiritu added that the experience helped him realize where he went wrong.
“I definitely see where I went wrong but yeah man, I gotta take a break.”
Meanwhile, Eren Wayne Jr. commended Espiritu for taking accountability and apologizing.
“He recognized his mistake, also mature enough to take this opportunity to send a positive message,” the content creator said.
Brandon Espiritu is a Filipino-American model, fitness entrepreneur, and pageant titleholder who achieved international recognition as the 2nd Runner-Up at Mister Supranational 2024. However, he faced severe public backlash and lost multiple brand endorsements following controversial social media remarks regarding mixed-heritage ("halfie") contestants in Philippine pageantry.
In another report, Brandon Espiritu issued a public apology after receiving backlash over his remarks about “halfies” representing the Philippines in international pageants. The controversy erupted after an Instagram comment attributed to him suggested that the country would struggle on the global stage without mixed-race Filipino contestants. Several public figures, including Stacey Gabriel and Michael Cinco, criticized the statement and its implications. Espiritu later clarified that he never intended to diminish the achievements of Filipino candidates and pledged to learn from the experience.
Meanwhile, Miss Earth Philippines 2025 Joy Barcoma weighed in on the controversy involving Filipino-American titleholders Brandon Espiritu and Jether Palomo. Reacting to the viral issue, Joy said the discussion goes beyond ethnicity and is more about mindset, respect, and appreciation for Filipino identity. She emphasized that individuals representing the Philippines on the international stage should have a deeper understanding of Filipino culture and language. Barcoma’s comments added another perspective to the ongoing conversation surrounding representation in pageantry.
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