Trigger warning: Contains video, images and graphic descriptions of violence against animals
Kapamilya actress Chie Filomeno and other Filipinos called for justice for a labrador retriever dog in Bato, Camarines Sur who was found lifeless in a sack.
They used the hashtag “#JusticeForKillua,” now trending on social media.
On Sunday, Facebook users Vina Rachelle and Dimple Joanicient raised awareness about their pet dog who they found dead after it was allegedly caught by a man. Internet users identified him as Anthony Solares.
“Mahal na mahal ko ‘yan. We found his lifeless body inside a sack. #JusticeForKillua,” Vina wrote with loudly crying emojis.
She also shared footage from their CCTV on the gate which showed a dog being chased by a man.
The individual appeared to strike the animal more than once and then continued to chase it across the road.
“Our CCTV footage sa gate. #JusticeForKillua,” Vina wrote.
Vina and Dimples also said that Killua did not escape their gate since it was “locked.”
“Tumaas siya tapos nahulog ata, we don’t exactly know what happened. He was probably anxious and stressed, hindi siya sanay sa labas kasi sa loob lang ‘yan ng bahay palagi. Kaya, no, hindi namin binuksan ‘yung pinto kaya nakalabas,” they said on Facebook.
“And if nangagat man, it is not enough reason to kill my pet,” they added.
“He was asking for apology, but no sorry could ever replace my baby,” Vina and Dimples said. The “he” they could be referring to could be “Anthony,” who was said to have sacked the dog.
On Monday, Vina shared that while they “cannot disclose any information,” she assured the public that they will seek justice for their pet.
“At para din matigil na ang pagabuso at pagkatay sa mga dogs dito sa lugar namin,” she said.
Vina also expressed her gratitude to those empathizing and supporting them.
“Maraming salamat po sa lahat ng sumusuporta kay Killua para sa laban na ito at sa lahat po ng nag-aabot ng tulong. Killua is probably happy na madaming nagmamahal sa kanya aside from his family. #JusticeForKillua,” she said.
In another post, Dimples revealed that Killua is part of their “HunterXHunter babies” which include other dogs namely Gon and Feitan.
“Hunter × Hunter” is a Japanese anime based on a manga of the same name with characters named Killua, Gon, and Feitan.
Anthony Solares’ Facebook page
Meanwhile, a Facebook page called “Anthony Solares” was created on Monday. It categorizes itself as a “pet service” and describes itself as “Hwag nyu kasi pakawalan ang aso nyu!”
The man, who identified himself as “Anthony,” claimed in a post that he supposedly prevented the dog from “attacking” his child.
To justify the action, his page shared an old video of a dog attacking a person riding a bicycle.
“Kawawa ang sinapit ng batang ito matapos makagat ng aso. Ngunit hindi maintindihan ng marami na ang aking ginawa ay upang protektahan lang ang mga bata laban sa aso,” Anthony wrote.
His page also shared the “#JusticeForKillua” post by Dimple.
“I also sympathize with Killua’s death. And I am asking for a dispensation. At least I hope you understand that I was the only one who defended my family, my son, when they attacked the dog. I’m sorry,” his page said, as translated by Google.
In another post, Anthony claimed the dog “escaped” from the owner’s house and was “about to attack” his child.
It remains unknown whether the page is being handled by “Anthony” or if he was the one who hit the dog in the video.
On the other hand, some users on TikTok claim that those who caught the dog appeared to have darker intentions.
“In-anxiety ako [niyan] kahapon. Actually, it’s near my hometown. And they are known to kill dogs for them to cook and eat. [Sabi] din ng mga kakilala ko kaya siya nasa sako kasi [kakatayin] na at [lulutuin] na. I deactived my FB because of that,” TikTok user @user81227158815 wrote.
The hashtag “#JusticeForKillua” gained traction following the posts and the comments of social media users.
Among those who posted the hashtag was Chie, who said she was “heartbroken” upon seeing the posts.
“I just saw everything… Nadurog ang puso ko.. #JusticeForKillua,” the actress wrote on the X (formerly Twitter) platform.
I just saw everything… Nadurog ang puso ko.. #JusticeForKillua
— Chienna Filomeno (@ChieFilomeno) March 18, 2024
The incident also brought up a 2019 petition page that seeks to “pass a Philippine law that bans all forms of animal cruelty.”
The petition seeks to amend Republic Act 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 by updating it to ban animal killing without exceptions for religious or ethnic cultural practices and raise sentences for those who violate the law, among others.
“Let’s speak up for those who can’t! ANIMAL CRUELTY IS NOT AND WILL NEVER BE SELF DEFENSE! #JusticeForKillua,” an online user wrote.
Let’s speak up for those who can’t! ANIMAL CRUELTY IS NOT AND WILL NEVER BE SELF DEFENSE!#JusticeForKillua https://t.co/gc6tHHp4fw
— sen (@sugatradamus) March 18, 2024
The Animal Welfare Act of 1998, amended by Republic Act 10631, states the following:
“It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horsefights, kill or cause or procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare.”
The killing of animals that are not cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos and horses are also unlawful, under certain exemptions which include doing it “to prevent an imminent danger to the life or limb of a human being,” among others.
The law also states that “any person who subjects any animal to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect,” upon final judgment, shall be imprisoned and/or fined.
