Army relieves soldier in viral dog killing video

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine Army soldier accused of killing a dog and posting the incident on social media faces possible demotion and criminal charges as the military investigates the alleged animal cruelty case.

Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala on Tuesday said the soldier assigned to the 1st Infantry Division in Zamboanga del Sur had been relieved of his duties pending the resolution of an administrative case against him.

“The minimum would be demotion from his rank,” Dema-ala said at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

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“The Philippine Army strongly condemns any act of animal cruelty,” he added. “Any personnel found responsible will face appropriate administrative and disciplinary sanctions, as well as any applicable legal consequences, in accordance with existing laws and regulations.”

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Animal welfare group Strategic Power for Animal Respondents Philippines earlier identified the soldier as Pfc. Ruiz in an Oct. 26 Facebook post calling for accountability over the incident.

The group said it received information about the soldier from individuals who claimed to know him after the case was initially reported to Bataan Animal Welfare.

It urged military authorities to verify the allegations and investigate the incident, using the hashtag #ZamboDog. /cb