ANIMAL welfare advocates, including Bantay Hayop Davao, have condemned a viral video showing animal cruelty in Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte. The video, which sparked outrage online, shows a cat being used as a makeshift gun and thrown onto the road.
Bantay Hayop Davao initially called for help to rescue the abused cat, leading to public outcry and demands for justice. "Ang mga pusang gala na katulad ng biktimang ito sa video ay nararapat na matulongan (Street cats like the one in the video deserve help)," the group said in a Facebook post.
In an update, the group confirmed that they successfully rescued the cat and took it to a veterinary clinic. Fortunately, the cat did not sustain any physical injuries.
"Luckily, the cat is well socialized to humans and healthy," Bantay Hayop added.
In an unexpected twist, the individuals seen in the video were the ones who retrieved the cat from the site and handed it over to Bantay Hayop. Before this, a concerned person had visited the location but was unable to find the animal.
The Babak Police Station confirmed that the individuals involved reported to the station, apologized, and provided their account of the incident.
However, Bantay Hayop stood firm, stating, "We do not accept mere apologies because we are not the victims. Only the victims have the right to forgive their attackers. However, since the victims are voiceless beings, they cannot verbalize their forgiveness in human terms."
The organization also revealed that one of the individuals involved asked for the removal of the social media post due to the backlash it generated.
Bantay Hayop reached out to a witness for evidence but has not yet received a response. The group's legal team is now considering legal action.
The video uploader, Gab Sencio, posted an apology for his group's actions towards the cat. In a comment on the same video, Sencio named Facebook user Amanda Mondragon as the one who threw the animal and later turned it over to Bantay Hayop Davao.
Mondragon explained that they were drunk at the time and never intended to harm the cat.
“Akong giitsa, pero wala man hinuon naunsa ang iring atong gabiihona, mangayo ko’g dakong pasaylo sa nahitabo, ug unta sa mga nagcomplain ato, unta mapasaylo ko nila kay kami nakainom, kami wala sa tamang pamuot (I threw it, but nothing happened to the cat that night. I sincerely apologize for what happened, and I hope those who complained can forgive me because we were drunk and not in our right state of mind),” Mondragon said in the now-deleted video.
Under Section 9 of Republic Act No. 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, “Any person who subjects any animal to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect shall, upon conviction by final judgment, be punished by imprisonment and/ or fine.” RGL