Award-winning journalist's birthday wish for death of corrupt officials sparks online reactions, rally in Cagayan de Oro

Award-winning journalist Kara David's 52nd birthday wish for the death of corrupt officials in the Philippines, particularly in relation to flood-control projects, has sparked online reactions and a rally in Cagayan de Oro.

David's video, shared on social media, featured her making the wish while copying Alden Richards' pose and blowing out her candles, drawing laughter from her companions.

The video received significant engagement on Facebook and TikTok, with over 160K views, 19K likes, 55K shares, and 18K comments.

Kara's initial post has since garnered over 4.3 million views, 137,000 likes, 25,000 shares and 11,300 comments.

Comic artist Kevin Raymundo created an illustration of Kara above a Congress plenary hall filled with lifeless and faceless bodies, greeting her with 'Happy birthday' in his posts' captions.

Kara humorously compared the illustration to the manga series 'Death Note,' which features a notebook that grants users the ability to kill anyone whose name is written in it.

Many netizens expressed support for David's wish, with some even pledging to make it their own birthday wish.

Several Filipino celebrities had previously criticized the alleged misuse of funds in flood-control projects, aligning with David's sentiments.

Protesters in Cagayan de Oro, including groups like Promotion of Church People's Response and UPLM, sang a birthday song for David, expressing support for her wish and calling for accountability in corruption cases.

UPLM Secretary General Beverly Selim-Musni emphasized the need to hold corrupt officials accountable and expressed hope that David's wish would not be needed on her next birthday.