‘Nakakadurog ng puso’: #JusticeforKian trends nationwide on Twitter

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of the story said Kian was among 25 killed in Caloocan. The 25 killings happened in Manila, while Kian was among 24 reported dead in Caloocan. We apologize for the error.

MANILA, Philippines – Netizens expressed their outrage on Friday, August 18, over the death of Grade 11 student Kian Lloyd delos Santos, an alleged drug runner who was not on any drug list. Delos Santos was among those killed in the recent rise in police operation casualties.

CCTV footage of the 17-year-old, who did not seem to show any signs of fighting back against the police, made the rounds on social media. This is contrary to the authorities’ claim that he had fired a gun at policemen, who in turn fired back in self-defense. (READ: Bishop slams killing of 17-year-old boy in drug war)

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa apologized on the same day to the families of drug suspects killed in police operations, but this did not deter netizens from voicing out using the hashtag #JusticeforKian.

The hashtag rose up the ranks of Twitter’s top Philippine trends, along with the phrase “Kian delos Santos.”

Here’s a sampling of tweets using #JusticeforKian:

#JusticeforKian – Curated tweets by rapplerdotcom

– Rappler.com