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MANILA, Philippines — Kian delos Santos, a victim of the drug war, was never found guilty by authorities of being a “drug runner” or “pusher,” as no substantial evidence was ever presented.
A spliced clip from a documentary of GMA’s "Reporter’s Notebook" has circulated on TikTok, showing arrested drug suspect Renato “Nono” Loveras accusing Kian of being a “drug runner.”
In the clip, Loveras claimed he received illegal drugs from the 17-year-old as a courier of a supplier named “Neneng.” This was the sole basis the Caloocan City police used to justify their anti-illegal drug operation against Kian during the “One Time, Big Time” operations in 2017.
The edited videos online either showed overlay text labeling Kian as a drug runner or featured user commentary accusing him of being a drug pusher, taking Loveras’ account alone as truth.
One video stated:
“Akala ko ba inosente c (si) Kian delos Santos. … ‘Yan ‘yung sinasabi ninyong insoente c Kian delos Santos drug runners pala. Anu masabi ninyo mga human rights, at sayo Riza virus at Delima,” likely referring to Sen. Risa Hontiveros and former Sen. Leila de Lima, both known for their stance against the drug war.
(I thought Kian delos Santos was innocent… So that’s who you’re calling innocent? Turns out Kian delos Santos was a drug runner. What do you have to say now, human rights advocates? And you, 'Riza Virus' and Delima?)
These posts also denied Kian's innocence, dismissing his case and mocking human rights advocates who have used it to expose the brutality of former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs campaign.
RATING: This is misleading.
Facts
Loveras’ claims, which can be viewed from 8:10 to 8:22 mark of the documentary, were not acknowledged during the 2017 Senate probe into Kian’s killing nor by the Caloocan Regional Trial Court that handled the murder case in 2018, due to the weak evidence presented by the police.
Former Caloocan City Police Chief Chito Bersaluna, who was also dismissed, testified before the Senate on Aug. 24, 2017, saying they verified Loveras’ claim through social media. It, however, turned out to include several fake Facebook accounts that also alleged Kian was a known drug user in Caloocan City.
At the same hearing, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said its probe found that Loveras had lied and that his arrest was “staged to conceal the crime” committed by the police officers. Kian's family, friends and neighbors also vouched for Kian's innocence.
The three police officers convicted in November 2018 for the murder of Kian heavily relied on their informant's account to justify their actions during the murder trial — despite failing to present Loveras in court or disclose his whereabouts.
The court archived the case against Loveras and issued an arrest warrant after he failed to appear as one of the accused in Kian’s murder. A December 2018 report later revealed he was already detained at the Caloocan City Jail for a separate case.
As of writing, there have been no updates on Loveras’ status.
Why we fact-checked this
A wave of posts with a similar narrative of downplaying the experiences of drug war victims’ families and discrediting the victims themselves has been spreading online since mid-March.
It started around the time Duterte was arrested on March 11 over crimes against humanity charges by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
A video posted on April 13 by TikTok user greenheart1418 garnered over 4,500 likes, 709 comments and 581 shares as of 3:42 p.m.
Meanwhile, a commentary video posted on March 16 by TikTok user capizpride made the same claim using the same clip, earning 236 likes, 32 comments and 22 shares. The user has a following of over 2,000.
The families already sought the NBI’s assistance after enduring online harassment, with the attacks including sexist and hate-driven remarks also aimed at the mothers of extrajudicial killing victims.
Kian is just one of the over 6,000 victims recognized by the government who died in anti-illegal drug operations, and his case is also one of the four drug war cases that reached a conviction in court.
His murder has also been cited by the ICC Prosecutor in the case against Duterte, with the confirmation of charges hearing scheduled for September 23, 2025.
