SOUTH COTABATO — Outrage continues to mount against local vlogger Inday Tilapia (Cynthia Mae Dapilaga) after she failed to appear before the South Cotabato Muslim Council of Elders, which had summoned her to explain and formally apologize for her viral video where she wore a hijab while promoting lechon baboy — a direct insult to Islam.
Rommy Muhammad Malida Buan, president of the Balik Islam South Cotabato Federation, said Dapilaga was given until Thursday morning, August 20, 2025 to personally face the Council at the office of Datu Sultan Rahman Paglas Ebrahim in Tupi. Her absence at the Council’s formal invitation on Tuesday was seen as a blatant disregard for the gravity of her offense.
“The community has shown patience, but disrespect has limits,” Buan warned, stressing that failure to show up by the deadline would only escalate the conflict.
The issue stems from Dapilaga’s insensitive livestream that went viral, where she casually wore the hijab — a sacred religious symbol of Muslim women — while promoting roasted pork, a food prohibited in Islam. For many Muslims, this was not a harmless act but a deep wound to their faith and dignity, turning what is sacred into a cheap prop for content.
Instead of directly facing the Muslim Council, Dapilaga released a statement saying she had already spoken with Datu Kawit of Norala and his wife Bai Jamila Jison Kawit, claiming they considered the issue settled. She further insisted that she had no intent to disrespect Islam, saying she owned “many hijabs because she loves wearing them.”
Her apology, however, came across as half-hearted and evasive to many. While admitting the offense, she suggested that if a formal confrontation was insisted upon, the matter could be taken to the legal process instead.
For Muslim leaders, this response only reinforced the sense of insensitivity and defiance. “This is not simply about saying sorry,” one elder remarked. “This is about recognizing that faith is not a costume, and our sacred traditions cannot be mocked for likes and followers.”
The ultimatum remains: appear before the Council by Thursday or face the consequences of a community deeply hurt and angered by her actions.