Hashtag Franco dies in drowning incident
Franco Hernandez, a new member of boy group Hashtags as seen in the ABS-CBN noontime show “It’s Showtime,” has reportedly drowned Saturday afternoon in Davao Occidental.
Cornerstone Entertainment, the talent agency that handles Franco, confirmed the death.
According to police, the 26-year-old performer was with his girlfriend and another Hashtags member, Tom Doromal, in a motorized banca on their way back to North Lamidan, Don Marcelino, when a strong wave hit their boat, toppling Franco and his girlfriend off the boat.
When he and his girlfriend were retrieved, Franco was no longer conscious. He was brought to a clinic in a town called Malita, but was declared dead on arrival.
Franco’s fans and celebrities like Gretchen Ho and “It’s Showtime” hosts Vice Ganda and Kim Chiu expressed their sorrow and condolences on social media, making “Franco” a top-trending Twitter topic.
Franco, fondly called Hataw Heartthrob, was one of the new Hashtags members introduced last February.
On his Instagram account, he described himself as “fun-loving and adaptable.” —