Rovelyn Baterbonia, the mother of late student-athlete Rene Baterbonia, denied screenshots showing her allegedly asking for P25,000 for an appearance at a school event.
The matriarch addressed the circulating post on Wednesday, September 23, claiming that she was asking for a P25,000 “talent fee” to appear at a school event, where students reportedly considered her an “inspiration.”
“Many of the student here see you as an inspiration po. If free lang po kayo by next month pa naman po. Update po kayo sa exact date siguro bukas. Thank you Ma’am!” the message reads.
“25k ang tf ko po,” the account claiming to be Rovelyn responded.
“Donation po yan sa anak ko,” the account added.
The post circulated on social media, drawing surprise from Filipinos.
Ang lala ni Rovelyn, 25k ang tf nya? Anong gagawin nyang talent? Magbebenta ba ng Baterbonia Collection at iiyak? hahahahaha pic.twitter.com/T4DNKR55Mi
— moneyxfomo 😎 #Gamdom (@moneyxfomo) September 22, 2026
The post reached Rovelyn, who denied making such a statement.
“Hindi po ‘yan [aking] account, mga basher lang, walang magawa sa buhay [kundi kami] na [pagtripan],” she said.
Rovelyn recently drew attention for selling merchandise, such as shirts and albums featuring her son, with the “costly” price points raising concerns among some Filipinos.
Others said the initiatives did not allow Rene’s soul to “rest in peace,” arguing that his identity continues to be used for entrepreneurial purposes.
ALSO READ: ‘Let him rest in peace’: Rene Baterbonia merch draws criticism online | ‘K-pop-level price?’: Pinoys weigh in on Rene Baterbonia merchandise prices
Rovelyn has denied capitalizing on her son’s death, saying that their family had already been selling merchandise while Rene was still alive to help cover their expenses.
“Gusto ko lang po ipaalam sa lahat po ng nagsasabing pinagkakaperahan ko ang anak ko. Buhay pa po man siya, nagbebenta na po kami ng jersey at kabilin-bilinan niya dati pa, para may pandagdag sa gastusin ng aming pamillya,” she said in a previous statement.
Rene was among the student-athletes who drowned after being swept away by waves in Dipaculao, Aurora, in June during a water exercise activity initiated by then-Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin.
The other student-athlete was Nigerian import Divine Adili, who helped Ateneo make an impressive start to UAAP Season 88.
