Razorback drummer Brian Velasco died earlier today in an apparent suicide, an act he reportedly streamed to followers on Facebook Live.
Music promoter Dudee Alfonso confirmed the news, telling the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Velasco had jumped off a building this morning and recorded the act on the social media outlet. The video has since been taken down.
“He started a live video around 10:40am, so we thought he was just joking around,” Ruel Basinal, a fan who witnessed part of the video, told Coconuts Manila in Filipino.
Velasco became the hard rock band Razorback’s drummer in 1996. Today, friends and family were saying goodbye to the veteran musician on social media.
Ipe ZachZion Sigua Benito, lead vocalist for Insekto Pares, shared a photo of him with Velasco and wrote: “Whatever the reason, you are the only one who knows. Goodbye brother/uncle/mentor.”
Facebook has come under increasing pressure in recent years to monitor and take down photos and videos of suicides and other violent incidents posted on its platform.
This includes an incident in April 2017 that had a man filming himself murdering his infant daughter by hanging on Facebook Live.
Facebook called it “appalling” and told AFP that “There is absolutely no place for content of this kind on Facebook.”
The platform has also since vowed to crack down on such videos but they continue to appear.
Coconuts Bangkok, one of our sister sites, has recorded several instances in the past couple of years of violent acts carried out on the service.
If you or anyone you know has mental issues or is struggling with personal problems, please call the 24/7 HOPELINE at (02) 804 4673, (0917) 558 4673, or 2919 to seek professional help.
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