MANILA, Philippines — The death of a vlogger, a known supporter of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and critic of Vice President Sara Duterte, drew mixed reactions from various sectors on Saturday as police formed a task force to investigate the incident.
Alicia “Mima Alicia” Lipata, 24, was shot dead at her home in Barangay 171, Caloocan City on Thursday while her live-in partner was injured.
The Northern Police District (NPD) activated the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Mima”, referring to Lipata’s nickname, to ensure a “focused, thorough, and expeditious investigation” into her killing.
“The SITG has been directed to employ all available investigative and intelligence resources to identify, locate, and apprehend the perpetrators and establish the motive behind this crime,” the NPD said.
Prior to her death, Lipata had 362,000 subscribers on YouTube through her handle Alicia Comments, with her last video posted on Thursday, that had 47,818 views as of Saturday.
In several posts on Facebook, Mindanao-based opposition activist Lovely Granada said several Duterte supporters were dancing on the grave of Lipata.
“Mima’s death being weaponized against the DDS? Look at your comments & reactions—you even wish others would follow. You are literally celebrating!” Granada wrote on Friday.
DDS stands for Diehard Duterte Supporters for former president Rodrigo Duterte and the vice president.
“Mima has passed on and is finally at peace, free from this chaotic world. Your Tatay [former president Rodrigo Duterte], on the other hand, is very much alive—and feeling the shame for the whole world to see. From arrogance to prison,” she added in another post in Filipino on Saturday.
Another online blogger, Patrick Aquino, also recalled what happened to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro in Canada, while the President was on a state visit.
He pointed out that a certain vlogger, by the name of Iloy Bugris, wanted to give money to those who killed Lipata.
Bugris, with the real name Jinky Avelino Miraflores Carpio, is an Ilongga vlogger based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She was known to promote conspiracy theories against the President.
“When Atty. Claire was harassed in Canada, a well-known DDS supporter called on people to send him the information and GCash number of the man who shouted at and cursed Atty. Claire… Now, regarding what happened to Mima Alicia, Iloy Bugris said in a video that people should message him with the identities of the suspects because he wanted to ‘GCash’ them (those were his exact words) and thank them [for killing her],” Aquino wrote on his Facebook page in Filipino on Saturday.
“Since news broke about what happened to Mima Alicia, death threats against vloggers have become even more widespread. Is this now the new normal in the Philippines? Is the culture of violence and intimidation taking hold once again?” he added.
Aquino also asked government officials that they need to act on the killing of Lipata.
