Filipino influencer causes outrage with ‘halal pork’ post – ‘mocking us Muslims’

MANILA, Philippines (MNTV) – A Filipino content creator is facing a warning from a government agency and a torrent of online backlash after posting a message on social media asking where to find “halal pork” – a contradiction in Islamic belief that critics say crosses the line between satire and hate speech, reports South China Morning Post.

The post by Crist Briand has since been deleted, but screenshots of his remark continue to circulate online, prompting angry reactions and calls for accountability.

One social media user urged authorities to request that Facebook remove Briand’s account, saying his posts were a serious concern to Muslims.

In response, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, the government agency tasked with protecting and promoting the rights of Muslim Filipinos, issued a show-cause order on Wednesday against Briand over his deleted post, warning that failure to respond would be considered a waiver of his right to be heard. 

“The notion of ‘halal pork’ is not only false and misleading but also highly offensive and disrespectful to the beliefs, religious practices, and cultural sensitivities of the Muslim community,” said the commission’s Davao-based chief Sherrila Porza-Sawah.

“Failure to submit a written explanation within the prescribed period shall be construed as a waiver of your right to be heard, and the commission shall proceed to take appropriate measures as may be warranted under the circumstances,” Sawah said.

While some have defended Briand’s post as satire, legal experts say freedom of expression in the Philippines, though constitutionally protected, comes with limits.

Aldrin Alba, a lawyer at the think tank Political Economic Elemental Researchers and Strategists, said free speech was “a fundamental right in the country, essential to sustaining a democratic and free society” – but added that the government might impose restrictions “if someone exceeds their right”.

In cases like the one involving Briand, Alba noted that authorities could restrict or penalise speech in the event of a breach of certain thresholds, such as inciting harm or public disorder under the relevant laws.

An ‘offensive’ contradiction

For Ustadz Montanier Shaidee, a religious scholar from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the phrase “halal pork” is offensive since pork in Islam is haram (forbidden). “That phrase is offensive because pork can never be considered halal.” 

Ustadz Abulrahman Abdulsamad, a scholar from Marawi, the country’s only officially designated Islamic city, echoed the view, stressing that pork was not halal as it was impure in all its parts – whether flesh, hair, skin or any other body part.

He also said that Islamic scholars were unanimous in their opinion that selling any part of the pig was prohibited, except in cases of extreme necessity. According to him, the use of pork-derived substances as medicine, for example, is only permitted in cases of dire need and when there is absolutely no suitable alternative.