An 18-year-old content creator in Cauayan, Negros Occidental is in hot water after hitting a dog on camera for content.
The local police said the content creator, identified as alias Jomond, is new to vlogging and reportedly wanted to make people laugh.
“Considering na bago lang siya sumali sa ganyan (pag-vlog), ang sa kanya ay tripping-tripping lang para raw sana magpatawa sa mga tao,” said Lt. Col. Norberto Barniso, chief of the Cauayan Municipal Police Station.
His video was viewed at least 600,000 times but the vlogger’s choice of content did not sit well with authorities and animal rights advocates.
“That was really terrible because you can see the fear in the puppy’s eyes and that in itself is already cruelty,” said animal rights advocate Daniel Sam Salvatierra.
“Animal cruelty is not acceptable. That you are liable to the law. The LGU should reach out to small communities and have the people involved,” Salvatierra said.
His group is eyeing at filing charges against the vlogger.
Under Republic Act 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act, any form of animal cruelty is considered a criminal offense.
Cauayan Councilor Carlo Sumogat said the mayor has already summoned the content creator.
The council also wants to see him separately.
“Hindi iyan joke. Ang aming hakbang, ipatatawag namin siya. Pinapakuha talaga siya ni mayor. Gusto ko sana na iparating sa kanya na aside from the call of the mayor, gusto rin namin siya na papuntahin sa SB because we really condemn it talaga,” Sumogat said.
APOLOGY
On July 17, 2026, the vlogger, together with his parents, faced the local government and an animal rights group together at the Municipal Veterinarian Office.
He said he is not aware that hitting an animal is wrong. He also admitted that he wanted the video to have many views because he wanted to earn from it.
Content creators earn from the social media platform depending on the kind of engagement their content generates.
“Hindi ko alam na mali pala. Grabe, hindi ko na nga binasa ang comments kasi ang sakit. Grabe pala ang galit sa aking nga mga tao. Mahirap lang kami kaya gusto kong makasweldo sa Facebook,” he said.
The captain of Barangay Mambugsay where the vlogger’s family lives said that whatever his motivation is, hitting animals is never right.
NEXT STEPS
The Cauayan LGU wants the vlogger to render community service as punishment.
The four-months-old dog in the video, as well as the vlogger's other dog have been rescued and will be made to undergo a medical check-up.
Animal welfare advocate CJ Bertol said the dogs looked like they have manifested signs of trauma.
"So far, ang aming plan is to rescue muna ang dogs. Ang pinalo ay si Princess. Ang isa pang tuta ay si Farrah. Medyo may trauma sila sa tao, especially si Princess," Bertol said.
