FALSE. A viral post claims that Kian delos Santos, a 17-year-old victim of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, is being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church. The claim is accompanied by images suggesting Kian resembles Catholic religious figures and shows a priest blessing his tomb.
FACT. There is no verified evidence supporting this claim. Kian delos Santos is not being considered for sainthood, and no Vatican declaration or Catholic Church announcement confirms such a process. AI detection tools have flagged the images as likely manipulated, with a high probability of face editing. The priest’s blessing image circulated in 2022 and is unrelated to any sainthood cause.
The Catholic Church has not opened a cause for Kian’s sainthood. As of 2025, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints officially recognizes only 22 causes, none of which include Delos Santos. Recent canonizations in October 2025 and papal approvals for beatification or venerable status in January 2026 also do not include his name.
Kian delos Santos was tragically killed in 2017, and in 2025 the Supreme Court affirmed the murder conviction of three police officers responsible for his death.
